German postal codes, known as Postleitzahl (PLZ), consist of five digits (e.g. 10115) and are assigned by Deutsche Post. The current five-digit system was introduced in 1993 to replace the separate four-digit systems used in East and West Germany, unifying the country's postal infrastructure after reunification.
The first digit broadly indicates one of ten large geographic zones, ranging from 0/1 in the east to 8/9 in the south, with subsequent digits narrowing down to regions, cities, and specific delivery areas. Major cities such as Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich have multiple codes covering different districts, while some large organizations and PO boxes are assigned unique dedicated codes.
The database currently contains 8,172 postal codes for Germany.
| Region | Postal Codes |
|---|---|
| Bavaria | 2,062 |
| Baden-Württemberg | 1,196 |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | 865 |
| Lower Saxony | 796 |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | 659 |
| Hesse | 543 |
| Schleswig-Holstein | 445 |
| Saxony | 384 |
| Thuringia | 218 |
| Brandenburg | 215 |
| Saxony-Anhalt | 201 |
| Berlin | 190 |
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | 189 |
| Hamburg | 100 |
| Saarland | 69 |
| Bremen | 40 |