Germany’s fertility rate has fallen to 1.35 children per woman in 2024, marking the lowest figure in nearly two decades and reinforcing long-standing concerns over the country’s demographic trajectory and economic sustainability.
According to newly released data from the Federal Statistical Office, the fertility rate among women with German citizenship dropped even further to 1.23—its lowest since 1996. The overall decline has added to mounting anxiety about the future of Germany’s workforce and the growing burden on its pension and healthcare systems.
In total, 677,117 children were born in Germany in 2024, representing a decline of 15,872 births compared to the previous year. While this marks a 2% drop from 2023’s fertility rate of 1.38, it reflects a slowdown in the rate of decline compared to sharper decreases in 2022 (8%) and 2023 (7%).
Germany has consistently remained well below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman for decades, contributing to an aging population and increasing pressure on younger generations to support the social welfare system.
Among foreign women living in Germany, the fertility rate was higher at 1.84, though it too declined by 2%—continuing a downward trend that began in 2017.
Regionally, Lower Saxony recorded the highest fertility rate at 1.42, while Berlin had the lowest at 1.21. Western Germany maintained a slightly higher average of 1.38, compared to 1.27 in the east. Thuringia saw the sharpest year-on-year drop (7%) to 1.24, whereas Baden-Württemberg experienced the smallest decline at just 1%, landing at 1.39.
Data also shows that German parents are having children later in life. In 2024, the average age of mothers at childbirth was 31.8 years, and 34.7 for fathers. For first-time parents, the average was 30.4 for mothers and 33.3 for fathers—a gap that has remained consistent since 2021. Since 1991, the average parental age has increased by nearly four years.
Women born in 1975, who statistically reached the end of their reproductive years in 2024, had an average of 1.58 children—a modest rise from the record low of 1.49 among women born in 1968, reflecting a societal trend toward later-life childbirth.
While EU-wide data for 2024 is not yet available, Eurostat figures from 2023 placed the EU average fertility rate at 1.38, matching Germany’s rate that year. Bulgaria had the highest fertility rate in the bloc at 1.81, while Malta (1.06) and Spain (1.12) had the lowest.
The persistently low fertility rates across Europe, and particularly in Germany, have triggered warnings from economists and policymakers. Without significant immigration or policy intervention, many fear a shrinking workforce, slower economic growth, and unsustainable pressure on pension and healthcare systems in the decades ahead.
Melissa Enoch
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