Figures released by the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Tuesday showed that 1,086 Americans received German citizenship last year - an increase of 33 percent on 2015, and nearly twice the number in 2009. He added that it was not clear why the number of Americans choosing to become German has been increasing so quickly in recent years. Such people can apply for German citizenship without living in the country, and also are allowed to keep their American citizenship. The Destatis spokesman said that of Americans living in Germany who became Germans, 55 percent gave up their American passports. Those who gained German citizenship last year were also split almost perfectly 50-50 for men and women.

Source: The Local June 13, 2017 11:26 UTC