Ukraine refugees push German population to all-time high

FILE PHOTO: A soldier leads people during the "Schneller Adler" or "Fast Eagle" exercise of evacuation of refugees at an airport in Barth, North Germany May 5, 2022. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi

BERLIN (Reuters) - Refugees arriving from Ukraine have helped drive Germany's population to its highest level, the Federal Statistical Office said, with more than 84 million people now living in the European Union's most populous country.

Germany has one of the world's lowest fertility rates and by some measures its most aged population, but its wealth, demand for labour and relatively open immigration policy made it an attractive target for migrants even before the EU opened its doors to Ukrainians fleeing their country after Russia's invasion in February.