The region covers an area of 30,545 square kilometres (11,793 sq mi) with a total population of about 6.2 million.

With over 4.46 million people living in its 3,743 km2 area, Berliner Umland accounts for the vast majority (approximately 74%) of the population of the entire metropolitan region over approximately 12% of the entire area.

[5] The region contains five independent cities – of which the Brandenburg capital Potsdam is the only one with a population greater than 100,000 – and 14 districts (Landkreise).

The inhabitants of Berlin and Potsdam account for more than 80 percent of the region's total population.

The municipalities marked with (c) have city status: The metropolitan region counts three levels of centralities (Zentralörtliche Gliederung): The metropolis (Metropole) of Berlin, the four upper level regional centres (Oberzentren) of Potsdam, Cottbus, Brandenburg an der Havel and Frankfurt (Oder), as well as 42 secondary centres (Mittelzentren) allocated to 50 towns.