Registered prostitution workers rise slightly in Bavaria as businesses decline

The number of officially registered people working in prostitution in Bavaria rose slightly last year, while the number of registered businesses fell, BR24 reported, citing the Bavarian State Office for Statistics in Fürth.

At the end of December 2025, 4,826 people and 368 prostitution businesses were registered in the state. The number of registered workers increased by 1.4 percent compared with the previous year, while the number of businesses fell by 4.9 percent.

The figures varied considerably between cities. Würzburg had 88 registered workers and Schweinfurt 78, up from 60 and 61 respectively in 2024. In Bad Kissingen, the number rose from 71 to 90. Aschaffenburg recorded a decline from 29 to 14.

Registered prostitution businesses were concentrated in Munich and Nuremberg. Munich had 105 registered brothels and Nuremberg 64, together accounting for almost 46 percent of all registered businesses in Bavaria. The businesses counted include mainly brothels, as well as walk-in brothels and clubs.

Munich also accounted for 1,638 registered prostitution workers, or 33.9 percent of the total in Bavaria. The simultaneous decline in businesses and increase in registered workers could indicate that prostitution is becoming less organised through traditional business models and that new structures are emerging, BR24 reported.

More than 86 percent of the registered workers did not have German citizenship. Romanian citizens alone accounted for just over 40 percent.

About three quarters of those registered were between 21 and 45 years old. A total of 109 were aged between 18 and 20, while almost one in four was 45 or older.

The official statistics cover only the visible part of prostitution. They are based on Germany’s 2017 Prostitutes Protection Act, which introduced registration requirements for people working in prostitution and for prostitution businesses. The law was intended to protect sex workers from exploitation and violence.

Advisory organisations estimate that the actual number of prostitution workers in Bavaria is about three times higher than the official figure. People working without a residence permit or from private apartments are often not included. Critics say registration and inspection requirements may drive many people into illegal structures. There is no scientific survey or official estimate of the unrecorded figure.