Overview
- Brandenburg’s DLRG grew by more than 5% to around 5,000 members, and Berlin rose by over 4% to nearly 14,000, both reaching new highs.
- Nationwide membership exceeded 642,000 at the end of December 2025, almost 15,000 more than a year earlier.
- Nearly half of members across Germany are 18 or younger, while Bavaria reports 41,539 members with almost 60% aged 26 or under.
- DLRG leadership says deteriorating pool infrastructure is jeopardizing both basic swim instruction and lifeguard training.
- Local pools are often overbooked or under renovation, course demand outstrips available water time, and pandemic-era training backlogs remain unresolved.