In Munich, the situation reflects the national average, but the Bavarian capital remains well behind the country’s top-performing areas.
According to new figures released by the German Association of Pharmacists’ Associations (ABDA), Germany had just 21 pharmacies per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024—well below the European Union average. Countries like Greece and Cyprus lead the continent in pharmacy density, drawing attention once again to the structural weaknesses in the German healthcare system. Bavaria, despite being one of the country’s largest and wealthiest states, ranks only in the middle tier and shows no signs of outpacing its peers.
Bavaria at the National Average, Far from Leading Performers
Over the past decade, Germany has seen a 16.6 percent decline in the number of pharmacies. While city-states such as Hamburg and Berlin have been hit hardest, Bavaria’s decline mirrors the national trend. Data from the online pharmacy provider mycare.de indicates that Bavaria currently has two pharmacies per 10,000 residents—exactly the national average. Since 2014, the region’s pharmacy density has fallen by 16.67 percent.
The comparison to top regions reveals the extent of the gap: Saarland leads with 2.6 pharmacies per 10,000 people, followed closely by Saxony-Anhalt with 2.5. This places Bavaria well below the leaders, despite its robust economy and large population.
City Comparison: Munich Slightly Ahead of Nuremberg
A closer look at Bavaria’s major cities shows Munich narrowly ahead of Nuremberg. In Munich, the pharmacy density stands at 2.04 per 10,000 residents, compared to 2.01 in Nuremberg. These figures place both cities only marginally above the Bavarian and national averages. According to the analysis, regional conditions heavily influence pharmacy distribution. Economic stability and access to medical services are key factors in determining whether a pharmacy can be successfully operated.
Martin Schulze, pharmacist and spokesperson for mycare.de, explains: “Pharmacies can only operate profitably where there is also adequate access to physicians. It’s not enough to preserve pharmacies alone—patients must also have accessible medical practitioners nearby to issue prescriptions.”
Real-World Impact: Experts Warn of Continued Closures
Experts warn that if the current trend continues, it could threaten the availability of basic healthcare services across Munich and Bavaria. While the Federal Ministry of Health has stated that the supply of medicines remains secure, health professionals are urging caution.
“Every pharmacy that closes represents a real, tangible loss for thousands of people in the surrounding area,” said Mathias Arnold, Vice President of the ABDA, in an interview with IPPEN.MEDIA. The ripple effect of closures could strain remaining services and reduce healthcare access, particularly for elderly or mobility-impaired residents.
Online Pharmacies Are a Supplement, Not a Substitute
Although online pharmacies are growing in popularity, they are not a complete replacement for brick-and-mortar locations. A survey conducted by the German Association of Mail-Order Pharmacies (BVDVA) found that by 2020, around 58 percent of Germans were already using mail-order services. However, 99 percent of respondents also reported continuing to rely on their local pharmacies for everyday needs and in-person consultations.
Study Methodology
The data compiled by mycare.de draws on information from ABDA for nationwide and state-level figures. For city-specific data, researchers consulted regional pharmacy chambers. To ensure comparability, all figures were standardized according to the population of each region, providing an accurate picture of pharmacy availability across the country.
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