Berlin - Germany is home to around 6.7 million foreign nationals, a quarter of whom are Turkish, according to figures released Monday.

At the end of 2008 there were 0.3 per cent fewer foreigners than 12 months previously, according to figures released by the Federal Office for Statistics. Germany has a total population of 82 million.

The figures show a drop of 1.5 per cent in Turkish nationals, as many were granted German citizenship over this period.

A fifth of Germany's foreign residents were born in Germany, of whom a third were Turkish, while 31 per cent were Italian and 28 per cent were Greek.

Under German law, it is common for children born in Germany of foreign parents to take on their parents' nationality.

In the year 2008, 403,400 foreigners moved to Germany or were born in the country, representing an increase of 1,000 over the previous year.

At the same time, 307,800 foreign nationals left Germany or died, an increase of 28,700 over the previous year. (dpa)