Birthrate in North Rhine-Westphalia Declines for Third Consecutive Year

While NRW saw a 1.1% drop in births in 2024, some regions, including Oberhausen, bucked the trend with increases.

North Rhine-Westphalia recorded approximately 153,000 births in 2024, a decrease of 1.1% compared to the previous year.
This marks the third consecutive year of declining birthrates in the state, though the rate of decline has slowed compared to prior years.
Oberhausen experienced a surprising 0.8% increase in births, with 1,770 babies born—its first rise since 2019, after a sharp drop in 2023.
The steepest declines in birthrates were observed in areas like Olpe (-8.9%), Duisburg (-7.3%), and Mülheim (-6.1%).
Conversely, regions such as Höxter (+4.1%), Paderborn (+3.6%), and Bottrop (+3.1%) saw notable increases in births.