Germany’s fertility rate fell to 1.35 children per woman in 2024, marking the country’s lowest level in almost two decades and intensifying concerns over long-term demographic and economic stability.
The latest figures from the Federal Statistical Office show that the fertility rate among women with German citizenship dropped even further to 1.23—the lowest since 1996. The decline has deepened anxieties about the future of Germany’s labor force and the growing strain on its pension and healthcare systems as the population ages.
In total, 677,117 babies were born in Germany in 2024—a decrease of 15,872 births compared to the previous year. While this represents a 2% drop from the 2023 fertility rate of 1.38, it indicates a slower pace of decline compared to sharper drops of 8% in 2022 and 7% in 2023.
Germany has long remained well below the population replacement level of 2.1 children per woman. This persistent shortfall continues to fuel structural concerns, as fewer working-age adults are available to support a growing elderly population.
Foreign women living in Germany had a higher fertility rate at 1.84 in 2024, but this figure also declined by 2%, extending a downward trend that began in 2017.
Fertility rates varied across the country. Lower Saxony recorded the highest rate at 1.42, while Berlin posted the lowest at 1.21. Western Germany maintained a slightly higher average (1.38) compared to the east (1.27). Thuringia experienced the sharpest year-on-year decline at 7%, dropping to 1.24, while Baden-Württemberg saw the smallest change—a 1% decrease to 1.39.
The data also indicates that Germans are having children later in life. In 2024, the average age of mothers at childbirth was 31.8 years, and 34.7 for fathers. First-time mothers were on average 30.4 years old, while first-time fathers were 33.3—a pattern that has held steady since 2021. Compared to 1991, the average age of parents at childbirth has increased by nearly four years.
Among women born in 1975—who statistically reached the end of their reproductive years in 2024—the average number of children was 1.58. This represents a modest increase from the record low of 1.49 among women born in 1968, reflecting a gradual shift toward later-life childbearing.
While Eurostat data for 2024 is not yet available, the European Union’s 2023 average fertility rate stood at 1.38, matching Germany’s rate for that year. Bulgaria had the highest rate in the EU at 1.81, while Malta (1.06) and Spain (1.12) recorded the lowest.
The ongoing decline in birth rates across Europe—and particularly in Germany—has sparked repeated warnings from economists and policymakers. Without meaningful immigration or policy reforms to support families, many warn that the shrinking workforce will weigh heavily on economic growth, while stretching public pension and healthcare systems in the decades to come.
