Around 100 people apply to change their legal gender each day in Germany under federal-level legislation passed late last year.
Having come into force on November 1, the country’s Self-Determination Act allows individuals to request changes to their legally recognised gender without the need for medical supervision or approval.
According to data published by Bild on January 2, between November 1 and December 10 at least 4,361 people have applied to have their gender changed, equivalent to around 110 people a day.
Bild clarified that the data gathered from Berlin and Münster was not exact, as local authorities claimed to be unable to hand over detailed statistics.
Using already available information, the outlet concluded that Berlin was likely to be the location with the single largest number of gender change requests, with the city thought to have seen over 1,600 inquiries regarding the practice since the law change.
Leipzig had the next largest number of inquiries and formal applicants, according to Bild, with more than 430 people undertaking the legal procedure.
Authorities from the region reportedly told the news outlet that many of those making applications came from outside the city. It added that personal privacy concerns were cited as the reason people living in smaller towns and regions were not making applications.
The cost of the procedure can be as low as €35. Individuals who choose to change their gender must wait a minimum of 12 months to change it again if they wish to do so.
The right-wing Freedom Party (FPÖ) has said it planned to ban civil servants in the Austrian state of Styria from using “gender-inclusive language”. https://t.co/BNy2gcN6lc
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) December 18, 2024
