Official figures show that the number of people registered as sex workers with German authorities declined sharply last year as coronavirus restrictions shut brothels for months.
At the end of last year, 24,940 prostitutes were officially registered with authorities, the Federal Statistical Office said. That was down from some 40,400 a year earlier — a 38% drop.
By some past estimates, more than two-thirds of sex workers aren’t registered. The statistics office noted that it is unable to give information on unregistered sex workers and brothels.
The number of officially sanctioned establishments offering sex services — the vast majority of them brothels or the like — stood at 2,290 at the end of last year, a 5% rise from the 2,170 registered a year earlier.