Geographical differences in the population of the largest cities in Germany from 1987 to 2019

The article examines the spatial variation in the population of Germany's largest cities over the period 1987-2019. An analysis of the 22 largest cities shows that the population change has taken place in different regions of the FRG. The article divides the 22 cities into 3 groups according to their population size.  The main spatial differences and their causes are identified, such as: There are no specific patterns for the first and second groups, because the cities are located in the north, south and south-west. The third group is located mainly in the west. This is connected with the closure of polluting industries. It should be noted that after the unification of the FRG and the GDR in 1990, part of the population migrated to the west, where economically more developed cities are located. An analysis of the settlement systems from 1987 to 2019, using Zipf curves, shows that the actual curve has now become closer to the ideal curve. This indicates that the country's urban settlement system is stable and well-formed.