German births fall to lowest since postwar records began in 1946

{"text":[[{"start":8.25,"text":"The number of babies born in Germany last year fell to the lowest level since postwar records began in 1946, as Europe’s largest economy faces a worsening demographic crunch."}],[{"start":21,"text":"Just over 654,000 babies were born in 2025, compared with 1.36mn at the peak of the baby boom in 1964, according to data released by the country’s statistical office on Tuesday. "}],[{"start":35.5,"text":"With almost 1.01mn people passing away, the difference between deaths and births rose to more than 352,000 in 2025, the highest level in postwar history. "}],[{"start":47.75,"text":"Germany has one of the bleakest demographics in Europe, with its population expected to shrink about 5 per cent by 2050 compared with 2025. A rapidly contracting labour force is expected to weigh on growth that has already stagnated since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 caused a sharp rise in energy costs. "}],[{"start":71.05,"text":"Lacklustre private consumption, disappointing exports due to higher competition from China for German manufacturers, and US President Donald Trump’s tariffs have also dented growth. "}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":83.05,"text":"The decline in the workforce will be particularly pronounced over the coming years as the baby-boomer generation retires, with many companies warning about a shortage of skilled labour. "}],[{"start":92.89999999999999,"text":"“The new record low highlights the immense challenges we will face in the coming decades,” said Ulrich Kater, chief economist of Germany’s DekaBank. “Unlike in the past, we are now beginning to feel the actual effects,” he said, pointing to the stretched federal and welfare budget."}],[{"start":111.25,"text":"By 2035, one in four inhabitants in Germany will be aged 67 or older, according to modelling by the statistical office. Chancellor Friedrich Merz is trying to boost employment among older people, allowing pensioners to earn up to €2,000 per month tax free. "}],[{"start":128.55,"text":"A rising number of retirees will increase pressure on the pension system, which is funded by the contributions of active workers. "}],[{"start":136,"text":"“The statutory pension insurance system alone will, at best, only provide a basic level of old-age security,” Merz said earlier this month in Berlin, causing tensions with his party’s coalition partner, the Social Democrats. "}],[{"start":150.55,"text":"Moves by Germany’s former chancellor Angela Merkel to improve financial incentives for young families coincided with a temporary boost in birth rates. In the decade to 2021, the number of babies born per year rose 20 per cent to almost 800,000, the highest level in three decades. For the past four years, however, birth numbers have been declining again. "}],[{"start":173.9,"text":"Falling birth rates are driven by a smaller cohort of people in their thirties, together with women having fewer babies, according to the statistical office. "}],[{"start":182.85,"text":"The current cohort of 30 to 39-year-olds is smaller than in previous years due to the decline in birth rates after German reunification in 1990, which resulted in a rise in unemployment in eastern Germany. "}],[{"start":195.04999999999998,"text":"The number of babies born per woman has fallen over the past four years and is back at an all-time low of 1.35. The fall in birth rates is more pronounced in the five eastern German states, with a decline of 4.5 per cent last year compared with 3.2 per cent in western Germany."}],[{"start":222,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1777429211_8890.mp3"}