What is the situation in the red light district?
Malicious tongues refer to Germany as the brothel of Europe. In contrast to some other European countries, prostitution is legal here. Many a tourist visits our country for precisely this reason. But is it really as blatant as it is made out to be? A study shows that there are constantly fewer and fewer prostitutes in Germany. But is this information reassuring or much more alarming?
There are far fewer prostitutes than previously assumed
Earlier estimates sometimes put the number of sex workers at up to 250,000. At a German bishops’ conference in the 1980s, the number was put at between 200,000 and 400,000. Now a recent study by the erotic portal Erobella comes to just under 90,000 sex workers in Germany. In other words, far fewer prostitutes than previously assumed. Of course, it must be said that there is a number of unreported cases in this area that should not be underestimated, which is estimated to be around 60,000.
The reassuring part of this result
So Germany is not as dirty and wicked as its reputation. In the land of poets and thinkers, there are not even half as many sex workers as assumed. Apparently most of us still think with our heads and can do other things besides fucking. World export champion also sounds much better as a title for Germany than brothel of Europe.
The ban on prostitution in Germany, which has always been called for, also loses some of its urgency in view of these figures.
All moralizers and representatives of the church and other religious communities can breathe a sigh of relief. It’s nowhere near as bad as we feared.
Fewer prostitutes – shocking need?
Nobody doubted that there are fewer prostitutes than men in Germany. But just 90,000 sex workers? For 80,000,000 Germans? Even if not every man goes to a hooker regularly, the number is still alarming. Think about how many men have to manage without a partner and somehow keep their urges in check. Is the number of sex workers enough to satisfy the considerable number of men on a regular basis so that they don’t get any stupid ideas?
Of course, not every man becomes a sex offender straight away, but there is still an uneasy feeling when looking at this figure. It is precisely from this point of view that the idea of criminalizing prostitution in Germany should be treated with extreme caution.
Despite all the doom and gloom, nothing is cooked as hot as it gets, and nothing is as bad as feared. Recurrent rape excesses by over-snapping hordes of men are not to be expected. Not even after the introduction of a ban on prostitution.
How did these figures come about?
The official and estimated numbers of sex workers in the twenty largest cities in Germany were used. These were compared with the figures from previous years. As a result, a total number of 88,800 sex workers and 60,520 unreported cases were calculated for 2023.
As described above, these figures are also partly estimates. However, these are likely to be far more accurate than the estimated results from the 1980s.
Möchtest du unseren Newsletter bekommen?
Einmal wöchentlich versenden wir unser "Bergfest" mit den neuesten Beiträgen, News, Interviews und mehr, damit du nichts mehr verpasst – kostenlos!
Die Buch-Empfehlung unseres Chefredakteurs Mario Meyer:
"Künstliche Intelligenz – Werden wir alle vernichtet?"