Germany’s birth rate drops to 1.35, raising economic and demographic worries
Germany’s birth rate dropped to 1.35 in 2024, which made people worry about the country’s aging population and its ability to retain its economic stability in the future.
Germany’s fertility rate dropped to 1.35 children per woman in 2024, which is the lowest level in almost 20 years. This increased long-standing worries about the country’s future population and economy.
Recently released statistics from the Federal Statistical Office shows that the fertility rate for German women dropped even more, to 1.23. This is the lowest level since 1996. Overall, the drop has made people even more worried about the future of Germany’s workforce and the growing strain on the country’s healthcare and pension systems.
Germany had a total of 677,117 babies born in 2024, which is 15,872 fewer birthdays than the previous year. After dropping by 2% from 2023’s birth rate of 1.38, this shows that the rate of decline is slowing down compared to 2022 and 2023, when it dropped by 8% and 7%, respectively.
Germany hasn’t had nearly as many children per woman as it should have for decades, leaving the population older and putting more pressure on younger generations to pay for social aid.
When looking at foreign women living in Germany, the fertility rate was higher at 1.84, but it also went down by 2%, following a trend that started in 2017 and is still going on.
Overall, Lower Saxony had the highest birth rate (1.42), while Berlin had the lowest (1.21). A slightly higher average of 1.38 was kept in western Germany compared to 1.27 in the east. Thuringia’s annual drop was the biggest, at 7%, to 1.24, while Baden-Württemberg’s was the smallest, at just 1%, to 1.39.
German parents are also having kids later in life, according to the reports. When women gave birth in 2024, the average age was 31.8 years for mothers and 34.7 years for dads. According to data from 2021 to present, the average age of first-time parents was 30.4 for mothers and 33.3 for dads. On average, parents are now four years older than they were in 1991.
After reaching the statistical end of their fertile years in 2024, women born in 1975 had an average of 1.58 children. This is a small increase from the record low of 1.49 children born to women born in 1968, which shows that society is moving toward having children later in life.
Overall EU data for 2024 is not yet available, but Eurostat data from 2023 shows that the EU’s average birth rate was 1.38, the same as Germany’s rate that year. Among the EU countries, Bulgaria had the highest fertility rate (1.81), while Malta and Spain had the lowest (1.06) and 1.12, respectively.
Europe’s persistently low birth rates, especially in Germany, have led economists and politicians to issue warnings. People are worried that the next few decades will see a smaller workforce, slower economic growth, and too much stress on pension and health care systems if immigration or policy changes aren’t made.
