Hamburg-Altona

Due to the federal system of Germany, Hamburg is both a city and a federal state (governed by the Hamburg Senat). It has a population of almost 1,800,000 inhabitants and city area of 755 km2. Hamburg consists of seven districts and the district of Hamburg-Altona is the westernmost urban borough of Hamburg with a population of 270, 263 (Dec. 2016) with an area of 77.4 km2.

Hamburg is a growing and wealthy city with a diverse and strong economy- it still has a thriving industrial sector together with expanding service sector including engineering, finances and insurances, IT, architecture and social service (children, education, health and care). The population is growing with an increasing proportion of the population having a migrant background. At the end of 2016, the number of residents with a migration background according to the current definition was 631,246 people (end of 2015: 596,711), which represents approximately 34 per cent of the city’s entire population. Half of Hamburg’s residents under the age of 18 have a background of immigration.

Like many other big cities, Hamburg State is faced with the problem of social segregation. Though the city (and also the region) is one of the wealthiest in Europe in terms of economic development and gross average income, inequality is still a reality and there are large differences between rich and poor districts.