Child-free by choice or crisis? Germany faces deepening ‘fertility gap’
Germany’s birth rate has dropped to a historic low of 1.35 children per woman in 2024, with German nationals averaging just 1.23, while non-German women had 1.89. A total of 677,117 children were born — 15,872 fewer than the year before.
Experts and public figures are debating the causes and consequences, which range from economic uncertainty to shifting societal values.
Comedian and influencer Julia Brandner, who chose sterilization at 28 and published a book on remaining child-free, faced both criticism and praise. She argues that women still bear the burden of parenting, often facing poverty, while being judged for personal choices, according to dw.com
Far-right AfD calls for boosting birth rates without relying on immigration, reflecting a wider return to “traditional” values.
However, sociologist Michaela Kreyenfeld ties falling fertility to global crises — COVID-19, climate change, and inflation — stressing that it’s not selfishness but rational response to uncertainty.
Globally, fertility rates are plummeting — South Korea has hit 0.75, and Vietnam recently sounded the alarm. Conversely, regions like Africa’s Sahel still average more than five children per woman.
Martin Bujard of the Federal Institute for Population Research says the real issue is the “fertility gap” — the difference between the 1.8 children people ‘want’ and the 1.35 they ‘have’.
Delayed partnerships, poor family support, and unreliable childcare are major barriers.
Germany’s earlier family policies — like parental allowance and universal daycare — were successful but are now faltering due to staff shortages and underfunding.
Twenty-two percent of women and 36% of men aged 30–50 remain childless, with rates especially high among young female academics.
Without urgent reform to improve work-life balance, Bujard warns of long-term harm to social insurance, lower pensions, and cuts to healthcare and eldercare by 2030.
