| Country: | German Empire |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 1878 German federal election |
| Previous Year: | 1878 |
| Next Election: | 1884 German federal election |
| Next Year: | 1884 |
| Seats For Election: | All 397 seats in the Reichstag |
| Majority Seats: | 199 |
| Registered: | 9,090,386 |
| Turnout: | 56.30% (6.03pp) |
| Image1: | Ludwig Windthorst JS (cropped).jpg |
| Leader1: | Ludwig Windthorst |
| Party1: | Centre Party (Germany) |
| Leader Since1: | 26 May 1874 |
| Last Election1: | 22.84%, 94 seats |
| Seats1: | 100 |
| Seat Change1: | 6 |
| Popular Vote1: | |
| Percentage1: | 23.09% |
| Swing1: | 0.25 pp |
| Leader2: | Eugen Richter |
| Party2: | German Progress Party |
| Last Election2: | 6.86%, 26 seats |
| Seats2: | 58 |
| Seat Change2: | 32 |
| Percentage2: | 12.67% |
| Swing2: | 5.81 pp |
| Image3: | Otto von Helldorff.jpg |
| Leader3: | Otto von Helldorff |
| Party3: | German Conservative Party |
| Leader Since3: | 7 June 1876 |
| Last Election3: | 12.79%, 59 seats |
| Seats3: | 50 |
| Seat Change3: | 9 |
| Percentage3: | 15.23% |
| Swing3: | 2.44 pp |
| Image4: | Die_Gartenlaube_(1873)_b_132 (cropped).jpg |
| Leader4: | Eduard Lasker |
| Party4: | Liberal Union (Germany) |
| Leader Since4: | 1877 |
| Last Election4: | Did not exist |
| Seats4: | 48 |
| Seat Change4: | New party |
| Percentage4: | 8.83% |
| Swing4: | New party |
| Image5: | Die Gartenlaube (1874) b 093 (cropped).jpg |
| Leader5: | Rudolf von Bennigsen |
| Party5: | National Liberal Party (Germany) |
| Leader Since5: | 1867 |
| Last Election5: | 22.41%, 97 seats |
| Seats5: | 45 |
| Seat Change5: | 52 |
| Percentage5: | 12.12% |
| Swing5: | 10.29 pp |
| Image6: | Victor Herzog von Ratibor (cropped).jpg |
| Leader6: | Viktor I, Duke of Ratibor |
| Party6: | Free Conservative Party |
| Last Election6: | 13.64%, 57 seats |
| Seats6: | 27 |
| Seat Change6: | 30 |
| Percentage6: | 7.50% |
| Swing6: | 6.14 pp |
| Map Size: | 450px |
| President of the Reichstag | |
| Before Election: | Gustav von Goßler |
| Before Party: | German Conservative Party |
| Posttitle: | President of the Reichstag after election |
| After Election: | Albert von Levetzow |
| After Party: | German Conservative Party |
Federal elections were held in Germany on 27 October 1881.[1] The Centre Party became the largest party in the Reichstag, with 100 of the 397 seats, whilst the National Liberal Party, which had previously been the largest party, was reduced to 45 seats.[2] Voter turnout was 56.3%.[3]