Two years have passed since people could apply to change their gender marker under Germany’s Self-Determination Act (SBGG), and the government’s queer commissioner is taking stock with a positive assessment. “From my point of view, the Self-Determination Act has proven its worth,” Sophie Koch (SPD) said in response to inquiries. “For many individuals, it has finally delivered the long-awaited relief, making a self-determined life possible for them.” The figures also reflect this.
Across the country, 28,000 people have already taken advantage of the option to change both their gender marker and their first names. That figure comes from data from the Federal Statistical Office, reported by the National Trans* Association (BVT*) at the end of June. Notably, many changes occurred in November and December 2024, shortly after the law took effect. In these two months alone, 10,589 people filed declarations under the Self-Determination Act.
It’s reasonable to assume there was at least a backlog effect at the outset. The Federal Statistical Office notes that from January to October 2024, when the so-called Transsexual Law was still in force, there were only 596 changes. The National Trans* Association believes that many trans and nonbinary people waited for the Self-Determination Act and the removal of the need for assessments and court proceedings that came with the old framework.
A look at the states shows that those with large queer communities and substantial populations understandably recorded the most changes. In 2025, the highest numbers of changes occurred in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Lower Saxony, Berlin, and Baden-Württemberg.
