Share of births outside marriage in Germany

Germany: Share of births outside marriage was 33.1 in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
33.1
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
28th
of 42 countries
All-time high
35.5
in 2016
All-time low
5.7
in 1966
Years of data
61
1960–2020

Share of births outside marriage in Germany, 1960–2020

10203040196019902020

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2020, share of births outside marriage in Germany stood at 33.1.

That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and down 0.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of births outside marriage in Germany peaked at 35.5 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 5.7, in 1966.

Germany ranks 28th of 42 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 6.33 5.7 7.6 10
1970s 8.72 7.2 10.7 10
1980s 14.95 11.9 16.2 10
1990s 16.87 14.8 22.1 10
2000s 28.42 23.4 32.7 10
2010s 34.39 33.3 35.5 10
2020s 33.1 33.1 33.1 1

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 25 Ireland 38.4 compare
  2. 26 Australia 36.54 compare
  3. 27 Italy 33.8 compare
  4. 29 Canada 32.65 compare
  5. 30 Romania 32.5 compare
  6. 31 Hungary 30.4 compare

See the full ranking of 42 places →

More population data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of births outside marriage in Germany?
Share of births outside marriage in Germany was 33.1 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of births outside marriage recorded in Germany?
The highest recorded value was 35.5 in 2016.
What is the lowest share of births outside marriage recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 5.7 in 1966.
How does Germany rank for share of births outside marriage?
Germany ranks 28th out of 42 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of births outside marriage rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Germany data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of births outside marriage. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of births outside marriage in Germany. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-births-outside-marriage/germany/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of births outside marriage
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
42 places, 2,139 data points, 1960–2021
Last refreshed