Birth rates in Germany have fallen at a dramatic rate after years of steady increase, with world events being among the factors to blame for the collapse.
Between 2011 and 2016, fertility rates across Germany rose from 1.38 to 1.59 children per woman, which according to the Federal Statistical Office was as a result of better conditions for families and immigration.
However, 2022 saw birth rates drop by 8 percent, falling further in 2023 to just 1.35 per woman.
Joachim Ragnitz of the Dresden branch of the ifo Institute addressed the falling rates in a statement. He said: “The coronavirus crisis, the outbreak of war in Ukraine, and the subsequent drop in real income due to high inflation have clearly prompted many young families to put off having children for the time being.
“Childbearing behaviour, expressed by the birth rate, has changed massively in the past three years. It currently stands at just 1.35 children per woman, compared to 1.58 children per woman in 2021.”
The research, which highlights that the fertility rate hasn’t dropped equally across the European country, also suggests that the decreasing number of women aged between 27 and 36 in eastern Germany – the age group that accounts for the majority of births in the region – is another key factor. Ragnitz said: “Overall, almost 80,000 fewer children were born in 2022 and 2023 than would have been expected.”
Provisional data for 2024 shows that the downward trend looks set to continue.
It comes as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released startling data which showed a starker drop in birth rates in the UK.
The figures released this week show that there were just 591,072 births in England in Wales in 2023 – the lowest number of births since 1977.
Research suggests, external millennials, born up to the mid-1990s, are not having children because of financial pressures, not feeling ready or having not found the right partner.
Greg Ceely, head of population health monitoring at the ONS, said total fertility rates had been declining since 2010 but was particularly notable in some age groups.
He said: “The decline in fertility rates has been the most dramatic in the 20-24 and 25-29 age groups.”
A recent study by University College London (UCL) showed that just 25 percent of 32 year olds who would like children are actively trying to conceive.
The study, analysed data from more than 7,200 millennials in England, who were born in 1989-90 and found that not feeling ready, financial pressures, career considerations and not having a suitable partner are the main reasons millennials are not currently trying to have children or add to their family.
Lead author, Dr Alina Pelikh said: “These findings highlight the challenges this generation faces as they weigh up their childbearing plans in their early thirties. While those without children may be navigating the complexities of finding a partner and establishing their careers before parenthood, parents are grappling with the realities of balancing existing family and financial responsibilities with the prospect of having more children.
“While parents will naturally have many reasons for deciding on the timing and spacing of their children, it is likely that current cost-of-living pressures, with rising housing and childcare expenses, are also shaping the environment in which this group is making fertility decisions.”
