Germany's birth rate continues to sharply decline

Germany is experiencing a decline in birth rates, dropping from 1.58 children per woman in 2021 to 1.35 in the latest figures, with the east of the country showing an even steeper decrease than the west.

According to new analysis from the German Institute for Economic Research, or Ifo, the downward trend in birth rates has continued steadily, with newborn numbers dropping from 795,500 in 2021 to 693,000 in 2023. The country's official federal statistical office, Destatis, reported a further decline, with about 392,000 children born in Germany between January and July 2024, marking a 3-percent decrease compared to the same period in 2023.

Significant fluctuations in a country's newborn rate invariably lead to long-term societal changes, affecting everything from the demand for childcare facilities and school education to the size of the future workforce, German network Deutsche Welle News, or DW, reported.

Regions that were once part of the former East Germany saw the sharpest decline, with birth rates tumbling as much as 17.5 percent over two years, significantly higher than the country's overall 13 percent decrease, according to the Ifo.

The sharp decline in births partly reflects the migration of young women to western regions for career advancement and personal reasons, as well as the overall decrease in women of childbearing age across the country, reported DW.

However, statistics indicate that the severity of this downward trend cannot be explained by demographic shifts alone, as the birth rate per woman has also significantly decreased.

Joachim Ragnitz, deputy director of the Ifo Dresden branch, told DW he believes the novel coronavirus crisis, global geopolitical tensions, and income losses due to high inflation have "prompted many young families to put off having children for the time being".

He acknowledged these factors cannot be statistically confirmed, emphasizing that family planning in Germany is ultimately a personal decision.

The Times newspaper reported that while Germany had previously bucked the European trend of declining fertility rates since the mid-2000s, even reaching 1970s-level figures that surpassed several other European nations, it has now joined the continent-wide pattern of falling birth rates.

According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, birth numbers in the EU have reached a historic low, dipping below 4 million annually — a threshold not seen since 1960 — placing the EU among regions with the world's lowest fertility rates.

While France leads the EU with a fertility rate of 1.79 births per woman, significantly above the EU average of 1.46, Mediterranean countries notably lag behind with some of the lowest rates, including Malta at 1.08, Spain at 1.16, and Italy at 1.24.