In 2025, approximately 1.61 million men and women in Germany received parental allowance (Elterngeld). According to data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Thursday, this figure represents a decrease of about 3.7 percent or 62,000 recipients compared to the previous year. The number of men receiving the allowance rose by 15,000, or 3.4 percent, reaching 417,000. Meanwhile, the number of women claiming the benefit increased by 47,000, or 3.8 percent, totaling 1.19 million. Consequently, the overall number of recipients saw a drop for the fourth consecutive year, falling 13.9 percent below the 2021 level. This trend is also attributed to the decline in the birth rate in recent years.
Regarding the extended benefit, Parental Allowance Plus, an estimated 648,000 recipients planned to utilize it in 2025. This extension is projected to be planned by 45.2 percent of eligible mothers and 26.1 percent of fathers. Overall, 40.3 percent of all recipients planned to use Parental Allowance Plus to some extent during their benefits period, marking an increase from 36.7 percent in 2024. This suggests that the demand for Parental Allowance Plus is growing since its introduction. For comparison, in 2016, the first year it was available, 20.1 percent of mothers and 8.2 percent of fathers opted for the extra benefit.
Parental Allowance Plus is paid out monthly at a lower rate than the basic parental allowance, but for a longer period. If both parents work part-time simultaneously, they can claim up to four additional months of Parental Allowance Plus using a partnership bonus. However, only 8.3 percent of those claiming Parental Allowance Plus utilized this option.
In 2025, the share claimed by fathers stood at 25.9 percent, virtually unchanged from the previous year (2024: 25.8 percent). This means that the father’s proportion saw a slight decline in 2024, after having steadily increased since 2015, when it was 20.9 percent.
When comparing federal states, Saxony led with a father’s claim share of 30.0 percent in 2025, consistent with the previous year. This was followed by Baden-Württemberg (28.0 percent) and Bavaria (27.6 percent). Saarland reported the lowest father’s share in 2025, again matching the previous year’s figure at 21.0 percent.
The average planned duration of parental allowance claim for women remained steady in 2025 at 14.9 months. The target duration for men was significantly shorter at an average of 3.8 months, showing almost no change compared to previous years (2024: 3.8 months; 2023: 3.7 months).
