A study published by the German Economic Institute (IW) on Saturday reveals that the birth rate in the eastern states of Germany has dropped by one-third since 2015. The researchers found that mothers with German passports are particularly affected, experiencing a decline in births of over 40 percent. In contrast, the reduction seen in West Germany was significantly smaller, falling by only six to eight percent.
According to the researchers, a reason for the trend in the East is the decrease in the number of women of childbearing age (ages 25 to 39), which fell by 16 percent. Nationally, the number of women in this age group increased slightly by one percent, and even more so in the West, growing by three to five percent, a rise attributed to immigration. Despite these increases, the overall birth rate nationwide decreased by 11 percent, suggesting that it has become less appealing for couples to have children.
IW researcher Wido Geis-Thöne warned that persistently low birth rates could shrink the long-term workforce supply and endanger the financing of the social insurance system. He called upon politicians to make the decision to have children easier, opposing cuts to family support benefits, such as the parental allowance (Elterngeld). Families, he argued, need reliable care and planning certainty. Geis-Thöne concluded that most family benefits should be viewed as investments that eventually yield returns for the public sector.
