In 2024, the average age gap between a mother’s first and second child in Germany was 3.1 years, according to the Federal Statistical Office. This figure represents a slight decrease compared to the 3.3 years recorded ten years earlier in 2014.
When considering more subsequent children, the age gaps tend to be larger. In 2024, the average interval between the second and third child was 3.8 years, and the gap between the third and fourth child was 3.6 years. The gap between the third and fourth children remained relatively consistent compared to 2014, when the gap was also 3.6 years. However, the interval between the second and third children in 2024 was 3.8 years, compared to 3.9 years in 2014.
Furthermore, the age gap between siblings is notably greater in Eastern Germany than in Western Germany. In 2024, the average gap between the first and second child in the Eastern German states (excluding Berlin) was 3.8 years, compared to 3.0 years in the Western German states. The gap between the second and third child was 4.4 years in the East versus 3.7 years in the West. One possible reason cited for this discrepancy could be that women in Eastern Germany were, on average, more than a year younger at the time of their first birth (averaging 29.2 years) than women in Western Germany (averaging 30.5 years).
