Germany’s coworking market has recorded its first annual decline in space count after years of expansion, as operators face greater pressure to run financially sustainable businesses.
The country had 1,962 coworking spaces in 2026, down from 2,129 in 2025, a 7.8% decrease, according to the German Coworking Spaces Association (BVCS). Despite the drop, the total remains nearly 50% higher than in 2020.
Coworking Spaces Decline Across All 16 States
The contraction affected all 16 German federal states, while major cities recorded mixed results.
Berlin remained the country’s largest coworking market with 214 spaces, 15 fewer than a year earlier. Hamburg fell from 109 to 99, Cologne dropped from 67 to 61, and Düsseldorf declined from 66 to 57.
Munich was the only city among the 14 largest coworking markets to grow, increasing from 113 spaces to 114. Frankfurt recorded a slight decline from 78 to 77, while Nuremberg, Mannheim and Hanover remained unchanged at 28, 23 and 20 spaces, respectively.
More Operators Face Pressure to Prove Their Business Models
Germany’s coworking sector remains fragmented, with more than 1,000 individual operators active in 2026. However, larger operators with multiple locations are gaining ground, a trend the BVCS expects to contribute to further consolidation and more professional operations.
The association views the decline as a sign of market maturity rather than evidence that coworking demand is disappearing. Future success will depend more on occupancy, profitability and effective operating structures than on opening additional locations.
