The number of births and weddings in Germany last year fell to its lowest level in years, according to preliminary figures released Thursday by the Federal Statistics Office, known as Destatis.

Around 693,000 children were born in Germany in 2023, the lowest level since 2013, according to the figures. The number fell by 6.2% compared to the previous year, when 738,819 births were counted.

In eastern Germany, the number of births in 2023 fell by 9.2% compared to the previous year, from 86,227 to about 78,300 — a much sharper decline than in western Germany, where the number of newborns fell by 5.9% from 616,863 to around 581,000.

In March, the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) said the birth rate in Germany fell from 1.57 children per woman in 2021 to around 1.36 in autumn 2023.

Meanwhile, Germany's population grew by 300,000 people over the course of 2023, driven by immigration, according to the Federal Statistical Office. At the end of 2023, Germany's population totaled 84.7 million people, the office said. 

Changes in the structure of births

Of all births in Germany in 2023, 46.5% were mothers' first children, 34.8% were second children, and 18.7% were third and subsequent children.

In a long-term comparison with 2013, there were significant changes in the structure of births. At that time, with a similar total number of births, 49.4% of births were first children, 34.4% were second children, and 16.1% were mothers' third and subsequent children.

Thus, from 2013 to 2023, the proportion of births to first children has decreased, while the proportion of births to third and subsequent children has increased.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, mothers with foreign citizenship play an important role in the trend towards more births of third and subsequent children.

Marriages are also on the decline

The number of marriages in 2023 also fell by 7.6% from the previous year to about 361,000. In 2022, 390,743 couples got married in Germany.

According to the figures, this was the second-lowest number of marriages since records began in 1950. Only 2021 saw fewer marriages with 357,785. That year was severely impacted by restrictions imposed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The number of marriages in eastern Germany also fell more sharply than in western Germany, dropping 9.1% from 56,971 in 2022 to around 51,800 in 2023. In western Germany, the number fell by 7.4% from 321,431 to about 297,700.

Of the 361,000 marriages nationwide, about 351,800 were between a man and a woman and 9,200 were between same-sex partners.

dh/sms (dpa, KNA)

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