[REVISION HISTORY]

German demographics: marriage, birth, adoption, longevity

Updated 1 time since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-07-28 11:20 UTC → 2026-07-29 20:21 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Mid‑2026 figures confirm that Germany’s demographic indicators continued their downward trajectory, while longevity modestly rose. National births in 2025 fell to 654,241 and the total fertility rate slipped to 1.32, ~~now~~ the lowest level ~~recorded~~ since the mid‑2000s. Parental ages rose to 31.9 for mothers and 34.8 for fathers. Marriages dropped to 348,800, the smallest tally since 1950, and divorce filings climbed to about 130,100. Adopted children hit a post‑reunification low of 3,517, with step‑parent adoptions covering three‑quarters of cases. Life expectancy reached new records in 2025 (women 83.6 years, men 79.1 years). A pension‑age commission proposal linking retirement to life‑expectancy gains has reignited policy debate, and research underscores the mortality‑reducing effect of strong social ties. ~~Regional data sharpen the picture:~~ Regionally, Brandenburg ~~registered~~ recorded only 14,495 births in 2025—a 4.3 % drop and the lowest since early post‑reunification—alongside 35,743 deaths, creating the highest death‑excess since 1990 and a fertility rate of 1.30. In Hesse, births fell to 51,740 (fewest since 2012) while deaths rose to 71,080, generating a net loss of 19,340 ~~residents. Strong~~ residents; strong migration partly offset ~~Hesse’s~~ the decline, with 204,930 newcomers (59.5 % from abroad, notably Ukraine) and a net migration gain of 16,850. A UNFPA study of 108,000 German internet users (18‑39) found an average desired family size of 1.75 children, yet realized fertility slipped to 1.35 in 2024, widening the “fertility gap.” Over 85 % cited financial security, stable employment, affordable housing and reliable childcare as essential preconditions for parenthood. ~~A comparable analysis~~ Comparative data from Italy ~~shows similarly historic low~~ show an even sharper decline: 355,000 births in 2025 (fertility rate 1.14), 652,000 deaths and a ~~fertility rate~~ natural population loss of ~~1.14 in 2025, with~~ 297,000. About 62 % of ~~people~~ Italians of child‑bearing age ~~pointing to~~ cite economic and labour obstacles as the main ~~deterrent.~~ deterrent, 49.9 % of women fear career setbacks from motherhood, and more than 3 million women are inactive for family reasons.

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