Overview

• The total fertility rate fell by 2 percent to 1.35 children per woman in 2024 after sharper declines of 8 and 7 percent in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
• Germany recorded 677,117 births in 2024, two percent fewer than the 692,989 registered in 2023.
• Every federal state saw lower fertility, with Berlin at the lowest rate of 1.21 and Niedersachsen the highest at 1.42, and Thuringia experiencing the steepest 7 percent drop.
• Birth rates among women with German citizenship fell to 1.23 children—the lowest level in nearly 30 years—while those with foreign citizenship declined to 1.84.
• Experts warn that high living costs, housing shortages and unreliable childcare are deterring potential parents and intensifying pressure for policy reforms.