Germany’s birth rate has dropped to its lowest point in nearly three decades, according to official statistics.

The Federal Statistical Office of Germany has reported a significant decline in the country’s birth rate, reaching its lowest level since 1997. The ‘total fertility rate’ for 2025 was recorded at just 1.32 children per woman, a 2.7% decrease from 2024, when the rate stood at 1.35. This marks a continuous decline since 2022. The last time the rate was similarly low was nearly 20 years ago, at 1.33 children per woman. The lowest recorded rate was in the mid-1990s, at 1.24 children per woman.

In 2025, only 654,241 children were born in Germany, the lowest figure since the post-war era. Regional disparities were evident, with birth rates ranging from 1.16 in Saxony to 1.38 in Lower Saxony. Hamburg was the only state to see an increase, with a 0.4% rise to 1.24 children per woman. Birth rates among women with German citizenship fell to 1.20, a level not seen since 1996, while rates among women with foreign citizenship dropped to 1.78, continuing a downward trend observed since 2017.