Demographic collapse in Germany. The number of births is the lowest since 1946

Last year, the fewest children were born in Germany since 1946; The number of births decreased for the fourth year in a row, the Federal Statistical Office reported on Tuesday. The greatest declines were recorded in the east of the country.

According to preliminary data, approximately 654.3 thousand children were born in Germany in 2025. children, i.e. by 3.4 percent less than a year earlier.

The number of deaths in 2025 amounted to approximately 1.01 million and exceeded the number of births by approximately 352,000. This is the largest such difference since post-war times.

As in previous years, the situation in 2025 varied depending on the region. The year-on-year decline in the number of births was greater in the eastern federal states (on average minus 4.5%) than in the western ones (on average minus 3.2%).

Only Hamburg recorded a slight increase in births compared to 2024 – 0.5%. The largest decline occurred in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (minus 8.4%).

Final, detailed birth data in Germany is due to be published in July.

(PAP)

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