The conservative CDU/CSU won, and the chancellor's Social Democrats were voted out in a disastrous result for the party. One in five Germans voted for the far right. What does this mean for Germany?

After more than three years with Chancellor Olaf Scholz at Germany’s helm, Sunday’s election cemented the country’s lurch to the right.

Maps show how every district in Germany voted. The conservative Christian Democrats have won the most seats while the far-right AfD placed second.

The Christian Democrats won with 28.6% of the vote while the far-right Alternative for Germany came second with 20.8%.

CDU/CSU secured 28.6 percent of the vote, followed by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) with 20.8 percent and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) with 16.4 percent, according to the preliminary results released by the Federal Returning Officer in the early hours of Monday.

Germany’s centre-right CDU and CSU parties have won the federal elections with about 28.5 to 29 per cent of the vote according to exit polls, paving the way for CDU leader Friedrich Merz to become chancellor at a time of economic and political upheaval in Europe’s largest democracy.

Germany's conservatives won the national election on Sunday, while the far-right Alternative for Germany came in second, its best ever result.