Total fertility rate: births per woman in Germany
Germany: Total fertility rate: births per woman was 1.57 births per woman in 2017. ▼ Falling
Total fertility rate: births per woman in Germany, 1956–2017
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
In 2017, total fertility rate: births per woman in Germany stood at 1.57 births per woman.
That represents a change of down 1.7% on the previous year and up 12.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total fertility rate: births per woman in Germany peaked at 2.54 births per woman in 1964 and was at its lowest, 1.25 births per woman, in 1994.
Germany ranks 9th of 34 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 62 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.28 births per woman | 2.22 births per woman | 2.37 births per woman | 4 |
| 1960s | 2.43 births per woman | 2.21 births per woman | 2.54 births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.63 births per woman | 1.48 births per woman | 2.03 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.45 births per woman | 1.37 births per woman | 1.56 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.33 births per woman | 1.25 births per woman | 1.46 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.38 births per woman | 1.36 births per woman | 1.41 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.47 births per woman | 1.39 births per woman | 1.6 births per woman | 8 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More population data for Germany
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.0% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 3.11 million people (2100)
- Population density 202.93 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.0% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.36 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 2.75 million people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.36 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.36 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate -0.4% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.44 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total fertility rate: births per woman in Germany?
- Total fertility rate: births per woman in Germany was 1.57 births per woman in 2017, according to Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 2.54 births per woman in 1964.
- What is the lowest total fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.25 births per woman in 1994.
- How does Germany rank for total fertility rate: births per woman?
- Germany ranks 9th out of 34 countries with data for 2017.
- Is total fertility rate: births per woman rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Germany data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total fertility rate: births per woman. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The average number of children a woman would have in her lifetime if she experienced the fertility rates of a specific year.