Germany is now among the European countries with the lowest fertility rates. The United Nations defines countries with a fertility rate lower than 1.4 children per woman as “ultra-low” and warns of the negative impacts of such a low threshold. The latest available figures from the German government show that the birth rate in the country fell to 1.35 in 2023. This means Germany is now joining the ranks of 11 other European countries with ultra-low fertility rates—including Spain and Italy. Experts point at the bad economy, high costs of childcare, and the “postponement of parenthood until the 30s” to explain why fertility rates are so low in Europe. (FT)
📊 YPulse data: 57% of German 13-39-year-olds agree, “I don’t want to bring a child into this world right now”
