| Election Name: | 1878 German federal election |
| Country: | German Empire |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1877 German federal election |
| Previous Year: | 1877 |
| Next Election: | 1881 German federal election |
| Next Year: | 1881 |
| Seats For Election: | All 397 seats in the Reichstag |
| Majority Seats: | 199 |
| Registered: | 9,128,305 2.07% |
| Turnout: | 5,780,996 (63.33%) 2.69pp |
| Image1: | Die Gartenlaube (1874) b 093 (cropped).jpg |
| Party1: | National Liberal Party (Germany) |
| Leader Since1: | 1867 |
| Last Election1: | 26.67%, 127 seats |
| Seats1: | 97 |
| Seat Change1: | 30 |
| Percentage1: | 22.41% |
| Swing1: | 4.26pp |
| Leader2: | Ludwig Windthorst |
| Party2: | Centre Party (Germany) |
| Leader Since2: | 26 May 1874 |
| Last Election2: | 24.83%, 93 seats |
| Seats2: | 94 |
| Seat Change2: | 1 |
| Popular Vote2: | |
| Percentage2: | 22.84% |
| Swing2: | 1.99pp |
| Image3: | Otto von Helldorff.jpg |
| Leader3: | Otto von Helldorff |
| Party3: | German Conservative Party |
| Leader Since3: | 7 June 1876 |
| Last Election3: | 9.59%, 40 seats |
| Seats3: | 59 |
| Seat Change3: | 19 |
| Percentage3: | 12.79% |
| Swing3: | 3.20pp |
| Image4: | Victor Herzog von Ratibor (cropped).jpg |
| Leader4: | Viktor I, Duke of Ratibor |
| Party4: | Free Conservative Party |
| Last Election4: | 7.85%, 38 seats |
| Seats4: | 57 |
| Seat Change4: | 19 |
| Percentage4: | 13.64% |
| Swing4: | 5.79pp |
| Image5: | DFP |
| Party5: | German Progress Party |
| Last Election5: | 7.64%, 34 seats |
| Seats5: | 26 |
| Seat Change5: | 8 |
| Percentage5: | 6.86% |
| Swing5: | 0.78pp |
| Image6: | Polen |
| Party6: | Polish Party |
| Last Election6: | 4.00%, 14 seats |
| Seats6: | 14 |
| Seat Change6: | 0 |
| Percentage6: | 3.75% |
| Swing6: | 0.25pp |
| Map Size: | 450px |
| President of the Reichstag | |
| Before Election: | Max von Forckenbeck |
| Before Party: | National Liberal Party (Germany) |
| Posttitle: | President of the Reichstag after election |
| After Election: | Max von Forckenbeck |
| After Party: | National Liberal Party (Germany) |
Federal elections were held in Germany on 30 July 1878.[1] The National Liberal Party remained the largest party in the Reichstag with 97 of the 397 seats, despite the Centre Party receiving more votes.[2] Voter turnout was 63.4%.[3]