Behind the birthrate

In 2011, the number of children born in Germany dropped 2.2 percent to a record low of 663,000 babies, the Federal Statistical Office announced in a press release last week. Demographic pressure over several decades has led to unavoidable social and economic consequences.

Over the past four decades the total fertility rate has dropped from 2.2 to about 1.4 children per woman. Meanwhile, the number of live births has also steadily decline because there are fewer women of child-bearing age.

The Federal Statistical Office projects that the German population will continue to decline. With fewer births each year, the pool of potential future mothers is becoming smaller. With a current population of about 82 million, the Federal Statistical Office expects Germany's population will fall between 65 and 70 million by 2060.

A look behind the numbers

Steffen Kröhnert, head researcher at the Berlin Institute for Population and Development, said the main factor behind population decline is the fall in the number of eligible parents, specifically women between the ages of 15 and 45. The number of marriages is also declining, yet Kröhnert said this is no longer a standard by which to measure family growth - one third of children in Germany are born outside of marriage.

Today, potential parents are looking for a balance of family life and their professional careers, especially women. The ready availability of childcare facilities and state financial support or Kindergeld has made starting a family more affordable. Kröhnert said this is especially true for middle-income families.

While these improvements have made childcare more affordable, they have not closed the gap between the number of births and deaths. Last year saw the widest gap with 189,647 more deaths recorded than births.

Family in the public sphere

In spite of a declining birth rate, discussions about the importance of family in society have not played a big role in the national agenda. This is not the case in other countries, Kröhnert explained, using the United States as an example.

"Today, no US President without a family would be elected." Yet in Germany, he says, this is not the case - Chancellor Angela Merkel has no children.

“In many countries you gain social status by having a family but in Germany this is not the case,” he said. This shift in social ideology, which started in the 1970s, has made a lasting impression on German population rates.

More recently, however, Kröhnert points out there has taken center stage in public discourses. People are becoming more aware of the social importance of the family - What was once a private issue has become a public issue, because children are the key for sustainability of a society, he explained.

A graying population

"We have many graying regions in Germany where very few young people live," Kröhnert said, "The main concern in public discussion is the cost of an aging society." Germany isn't the only country facing this problem. Countries such as Italy, Russia and Japan are also experiencing declining births and large elderly populations.

Economic growth is dependent on a steady working population and for many countries this number is declining for the first time in history. Kröhnert estimates that by 2050, Germany will lose 30 percent of its workforce. He said in order to stabilize this problem, more innovation is needed. One obvious solution is to add more people to the labor market, specifically underrepresented groups like women and immigrants.

The Federal Statistical Office will release a full report on population statistics in August 2012.

Author: Holly Cooper
Editor: Joanna Impey