Aside from increased interest, the construction of newer stadiums, such as Dortmund's new Westfalenstadion, Schalke's Arena-Auf-Schalke and Gladbach's new park have increased capacity. Dortmund's average attendance now hovers around the 80,000 mark, making them second only to Barcelona in the world.
In general, the trend upwards has also been at the expense of the lower leagues. The gap bewteen the Bundesliga and 2.Liga has grown, although top 2.Liga clubs will usually have quite respectable numbers. Attendance levels in the 3rd-4th-5th divisions are relatively crap, although an occasional "Kult" club might sometimes skew statistics. (For example, St.Pauli averaged almost 18,000 in the 3rd division.)
ATTENDANCE THROUGH THE YEARS BUNDESLIGA 2.LIGA 3rd DIVISION Total Average Total Average Total Average 2014/15 13,308,116 43,419 5,404,498 17,622 2,552,340 6,717 2013/14 13,268,706 43,362 5,225,944 17,078 2,302,045 6,058 2012/13 12,825,813 41,914 5,179,395 16,926 2,338,620 6,154 2011/12 13,805,496 45,116 5,261,939 17,196 1,737,291 4,572 2010/11 13,051,796 42,652 4,448,977 14,539 2,124,060 5,590 2009/10 13,006,489 42,504 4,583,010 14,977 1,948,934 5,129 2008/09 12,825,811 41,914 4,758,337 15,550 2,134,179 5,616 (3.Liga) 2007/08 11,815,215 38,612 5,506,470 17,995 2006/07 11,899,765 38,888 5,093,076 16,646 2005/06 12,482,060 40,791 4,015,575 13,123 1,353,052 4,956 (RN) 2004/05 11,569,659 37,809 4,144,613 13,544 1,442,228 4,564 (RN) 2003/04 11,469,167 37,481 2,915,466 9,528 1,475,305 4,821 (RN) 2002/03 10,464,649 34,198 3,407,308 11,135 937,246 3,063 (RN) 2001/02 10,107,063 33,030 2,768,721 9,048 1,145,908 3,744 (RN) 2000/01 9,459,002 30,912 3,215,069 10,507 1999/00 9,541,144 31,180 3,734,664 12,205 1998/99 10,022,784 32,754 2,634,143 8,608 1997/98 10,096,422 32,995 2,840,317 9,282 1996/97 9,442,825 30,859 2,739,885 8,954 1995/96 9,423,283 30,795 2,301,228 7,520 1994/95 9,194,961 30,049 2,238,121 7,314 1993/94 8,303,670 27,136 2,649,712 6,973 1992/93 8,027,324 26,233 3,097,935 5,612 1991/92 9,212,643 24,244 1990/91 6,639,115 21,696 1989/90 6,498,384 21,237 1988/89 5,793,926 18,934 1987/88 6,025,737 19,692 1986/87 6,289,716 20,555 1985/86 5,627,918 18,392 1984/85 6,069,979 19,837 1983/84 6,313,967 20,634 1982/83 6,480,852 21,179 1981/82 6,694,357 21,877 1980/81 7,364,061 24,066 1979/80 7,427,985 24,274 1978/79 7,920,528 25,884 1977/78 8,449,530 27,613 1976/77 7,823,295 25,566 1975/76 7,120,282 23,269 1974/75 6,936,490 22,668 1973/74 6,794,872 22,205 1972/73 5,345,268 17,468 1971/72 5,724,478 18,707 1970/71 6,574,236 21,484 1969/70 6,283,146 20,533 1968/69 6,755,385 22,076 1967/68 6,471,207 21,148 1966/67 7,538,800 24,637 1965/66 7,576,760 24,761 1964/65 6,906,648 28,778 1963/64 6,626,374 27,610 Regionalliga (4th division) Averages Nord Nordost West Sźdwest Bayern 2014/15 722 1,687 1,912 1,565 902 For even lower divisions, here are some numbers from a previous season: Attendance figures for 2003/04 Total Average BUNDESLIGA 11,442,009 37,392 2.BUNDESLIGA 2,914,729 9,525 REGIONALLIGA NORD 1,475,305 4,821 REGIONALLIGA SÜD 662,099 2,164 OBERLIGA 1,925,448 662 VERBANDSLIGA 1,300,000 200 (estimate) OBERLIGA -------- Avg. Total League 991 285,423 Nordost-Süd 975 298,239 Nordrhein 880 269,404 Hessen 776 265,464 Baden-Württemberg 613 187,540 Niedersachen/Bremen 467 142,753 Bayern 463 141,828 Südwest 417 127,472 Westfalen 332 113,650 Nordost-Nord 306 93,674 Hamburg/Schlewsig-Holstein VERBANDSLIGA ------------ 311 74,758 Niederrhein 296 62,160 Württemberg 286 77,920 Südbaden 247 75,620 Saarland 243 66,051 Sachsen-Anhalt 217 44,777 Thüringen 216 51,791 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 193 43,524 Sachsen 192 43,483 Brandenburg 184 44,239 Südwest 163 39,105 Schleswig-Holstein 172 41,223 Hamburg 115 35,186 Berlin Not available: Niedersachen West/Ost, Bremen, Westfalen 1/2, Mittelrhein, Rheinland, Hessen Nord/Mitte/Süd, Nordbaden, Bayern Nord/Mitte/Süd
(c) Abseits Guide to Germany - www.abseits-soccer.com