Decline in birth rate records at 1.35 offspring per woman
In recent years, Germany and Europe have been grappling with low fertility rates, a trend that has significant long-term implications for the demographic and economic landscape. According to recent data, the fertility rate for women with foreign citizenship was 1.84 children in 2023, marking a 2% decrease compared to the previous year. This is lower than the desired number of children, which stands at 1.8 for both women and men, according to surveys.
The lowest fertility rate last year was calculated at 1.21 for Berlin, and the highest at 1.42 for Lower Saxony. The average number of children born to a woman in Germany was 1.35 last year, a value that has been decreasing since 2017. The fertility rate for women with German citizenship was 1.23 children in 2023, a value last seen nearly 30 years ago in 1996.
The current low fertility rate is a cause for concern due to multiple crises such as the war in Ukraine, poor economic development, climate crisis, inflation, and rise of right-wing populism. The long-term effects of this trend include an aging population, a shrinking workforce, demographic challenges, and potential economic instability.
To address these challenges, society can take several steps to encourage and convey a positive image of family and increase birth rates. This includes implementing family-friendly policies, promoting education and social norms, developing community support, offering incentives for young families, and making cultural shifts.
One strategy is to encourage family-friendly policies such as comprehensive parental leave policies, flexible work arrangements, and financial support through child benefits and tax credits. Another strategy is to promote education and media campaigns that highlight the value of family and parenting, and to encourage social norms that support family building and parenting as a positive life choice.
Community programs offering childcare services and support for new parents, subsidized housing, education support, and healthcare benefits for young families, and entrepreneurship and job creation that supports family life are other strategies to increase birth rates. Cultural barriers that might discourage family formation, such as societal pressure to prioritize career over family, need to be addressed, and a culture that values both career and family life needs to be promoted.
To promote a positive image of family, diverse, positive images of family life and parenting can be portrayed in media, public figures and influencers can share their positive experiences of family life, and family-related topics can be integrated into school curricula. Community events and activities that celebrate family and promote a sense of community can also be organized.
While immigration can help stabilize population numbers, immigration policies that support the integration of new families should be encouraged. Economic support for families, such as child benefits and housing subsidies, can also reduce the financial burden of raising children.
Martin Bujard, research director at the Federal Institute for Population Research, attributes the low fertility rate to high investments in family policy. However, Bujard warns of underestimating the long-term effects of such a low fertility rate, which could lead to a shortage of skilled workers and decreasing pensions despite higher contributions.
In conclusion, by implementing these strategies, societies in Germany and Europe can work towards creating an environment that supports and encourages family formation, potentially leading to higher birth rates and a more balanced demographic future. The EU average fertility rate in 2023 was 1.38 children per woman, a decrease from 1.51 children ten years ago, highlighting the need for concerted action to address this issue.
In light of the continuing decreasing birth rates in Germany, strategies promoting family-friendly policies, education, and social norms could be employed to raise the birth rate. For instance, encouraging comprehensive parental leave policies, or making cultural shifts that value both family and career would help in these efforts.
By fostering a positive image of family and creating an environment that supports family formation, it is hoped that the fertility rate, aligned with the health-and-wellness of future generations, could be ameliorated. This is particularly important when considering long-term implications in a landscape where economic development and demography are intertwined.
