Official Final Results of the North Rhine-Westphalia Election

General election in North Rhine-Westphalia 2017

North Rhine-Westphalia Election Results: May 14, 2017

Electoral Threshold

The electoral threshold for the state election in North Rhine-Westphalia is 5%.

Voter Turnout

Voter turnout was 65.2%.

Current Election Trend: North Rhine-Westphalia
Poll results, coalitions, and election data
Historical Elections: North Rhine-Westphalia
Results, coalitions, and historical data

Seat Distribution and Mathematical Majorities

199
Majority requires 100 seats

The current government loses its majority

The incumbent governing parties secured 41.7% of the seats.

CDU + SPD
Centre
70.9%
SPD + FDP + Grüne
Centre-Left
55.8%
CDU + FDP
Centre-Right
50.3%
SPD + FDP
Centre-Left
48.7%
CDU + AfD
Right
44.2%
CDU + Grüne
Centre-Right
43.2%

Governments of the Current Legislative Period

Laschet
2017
CDU
FDP
Wüst I
2017
CDU
FDP
Historical Government Cabinets: North Rhine-Westphalia
Cabinets and governing parties since 1945

Polling Accuracy: How Precise Were the Forecasts?

Comparison: Pre-Election Polls vs. Actual Election Results

0.70

Forschungsgruppe Wahlen

The final poll by Forschungsgruppe Wahlen deviated by an average of 0.70 percentage points per party from the actual North Rhine-Westphalia election results.
  • CDU
    -1.0
  • SPD
    -0.2
  • FDP
    +0.9
  • AfD
    -0.9
  • Grüne
    +0.1
  • Linke
    +1.1
0.75

Civey

The final poll by Civey deviated by an average of 0.75 percentage points per party from the actual North Rhine-Westphalia election results.
  • SPD
    +1.3
  • CDU
    -1.4
  • FDP
    ±0
  • AfD
    -1.0
  • Grüne
    ±0
  • Linke
    +0.8
0.75

Infratest dimap

The final poll by Infratest dimap deviated by an average of 0.75 percentage points per party from the actual North Rhine-Westphalia election results.
  • SPD
    +0.8
  • CDU
    -2.0
  • FDP
    +0.4
  • AfD
    +0.6
  • Grüne
    +0.6
  • Linke
    +0.1
1.05

INSA

The final poll by INSA deviated by an average of 1.05 percentage points per party from the actual North Rhine-Westphalia election results.
  • SPD
    +1.8
  • CDU
    -3.0
  • FDP
    +0.4
  • AfD
    -0.4
  • Grüne
    +0.6
  • Linke
    +0.1
1.72

Forsa

The final poll by Forsa deviated by an average of 1.72 percentage points per party from the actual North Rhine-Westphalia election results.
  • SPD
    +3.8
  • CDU
    -4.0
  • FDP
    -0.6
  • AfD
    -0.4
  • Grüne
    -0.4
  • Linke
    +1.1
2.02

YouGov

The final poll by YouGov deviated by an average of 2.02 percentage points per party from the actual North Rhine-Westphalia election results.
  • CDU
    -2.0
  • SPD
    -1.2
  • FDP
    -3.6
  • AfD
    +1.6
  • Linke
    +3.1
  • Grüne
    +0.6

Party Results: Vote Shares and Gains/Losses

CDU

Christian Democratic Union
Christian Democratic
Pro-European
33.0
+6.7

SPD

Social Democratic Party of Germany
Social Democratic
Pro-European
31.2
-7.9

FDP

Free Democratic Party
Liberal
Pro-European
12.6
+4.0

AfD

Alternative for Germany
Right-wing Populist
Eurosceptic
7.4
+7.4

Grüne

Alliance 90 / The Greens
Green
Centre-Left
Pro-European
6.4
-4.9

Die Linke

The Left
Left-wing
4.9
+2.4

Piratenpartei

Pirate Party Germany
Centre-Left
Pro-European
1.0
-6.8

Die PARTEI

The PARTY
Satire
Left
Eurosceptic
0.7
+0.4

Tierschutzpartei

Animal Protection Party
Animal Welfare
Left
0.7
±0

Freie Wähler

Free Voters
Conservative
0.4
+0.2

Die Heimat

National Democratic Party of Germany
Right-wing Populist
Eurosceptic
0.3
-0.2

Allianz Deutscher Demokraten

Alliance of German Democrats
Centre
0.2
+0.2

BIG

Alliance for Innovation & Justice
Unknown
0.2
+0.1

ÖDP

Ecological Democratic Party
Green
Centre-Right
0.2
+0.1

AUFBRUCH C

AUFBRUCH C – Christian Values for Humane Politics
Right
0.1
+0.1

Bündnis Grundeinkommen

Basic Income Alliance
Unknown
0.1
+0.1

Demokratie durch Volksabstimmung

Democracy by Referendum - Politics for the People
Unknown
0.1
+0.1

Demokratische Bürger Deutschland

Democratic Citizens of Germany
Centre
0.1
+0.1

Die Violetten

The Violets – for Spiritual Politics
Unknown
0.1
+0.1

Jugend- und Entwicklungspartei

Youth and Development Party of Germany
Centre
0.1
+0.1

MLPD

Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany
Far-Left
0.1
+0.1

Partei für Verjüngungsforschung

Party for Rejuvenation Research
Transversal
0.1
+0.1

Republikaner

The Republicans
Right-wing Populist
Eurosceptic
0.1
+0.1

Schöner Leben

Better Living
Transversal
0.1
+0.1

V-Partei³

V-Party³ - Party for Change, Vegetarians and Vegans
Unknown
0.1
+0.1

Die Rechte

THE RIGHT – Party for Referendums, Sovereignty and Homeland Protection
Far-Right
< 0.1
±0

Freie Bürger-Initiative

Free Citizens' Initiative
Regional
Centre
< 0.1
-0.1

Deutsche Kommunistische Partei

German Communist Party
Unknown
< 0.1
±

Zentrum

German Centre Party
Christian Democratic
Pro-European
< 0.1
±

Data Sources and Methodology

PolitPro

PolitPro bridges the gap between scientific research and current polling. We supplement leading datasets with our own proprietary research and algorithms to make complex political contexts tangible and accessible. Powered by AI.

Found a Mistake?

Political data is constantly evolving. If you spot an error, please let us know. A brief reference to your source will help us verify and update the information.

ParlGov – Parliamentary Democracy Data

A comprehensive research database from the University of Bremen, documenting parties, elections, and governments for comparative analysis.

Additional Sources

Döring, Holger and Philip Manow. 2024. Parliaments and governments database (ParlGov).

CHES – Chapel Hill Expert Survey

The leading expert survey on party positions in Europe. Over 400 political scientists document party stances based on rigorous scientific criteria.

Additional Sources

Rovny, Jan, et al. “25 Years of Political Party Positions in Europe: The Chapel Hill Expert Survey, 1999-2024.”