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DW
03-08-2025
- Politics
- DW
Why the birth rate in Germany continues to nosedive – DW – 08/03/2025
Women in Germany are having just 1.35 children on average — a record low level. Does this say something about the country's state of prosperity, or is it a sign that women are asserting their rights? When Julia Brandner recently presented her book "I'm Not Kidding," the 30-year-old influencer and comedian was confronted by a barrage of insults. One 72-year-old mother of three children took to the floor and attacked her in front of the audience as an egoist, Brandner told DW. However, the book, in which the Austrian-born and Berlin-based Brandner explains, with great humor and frankness, why she never wanted to become pregnant and underwent sterilization for that reason, also drew many positive reactions. Speaking about the hate that she has experienced from several quarters, she said: "You get stamped as a revolutionary. If you say you don't want children, you are very quickly blamed for sabotaging the pension system and the intergenerational contract, and actually for singlehandedly bringing about the extinction of the human race." This criticism is fueled by a number that many young women celebrate as a sign of progress in female self-determination, but that others see as a fearful portent of dwindling prosperity and a continuously shrinking population: 1.35. That's the average number of children had by women in Germany in 2024, according to the Federal Statistical Office. The average birth rate for women with German nationality was just 1.23, a figure that rose to 1.89 for non-German nationals. In total, 677,117 children were born in Germany in 2024, a decrease of 15,872 from the year before. Brandner was 28 years old when she was sterilized. Her gynecologist demanded a psychiatric assessment of her mental capacity before carrying out the operation. Brandner was surprised by the controversy caused by her book. She said she is noticing an increasing rightward shift in these tumultuous times, along with a return to more "traditional" values, where women stand at the stove and are supposed to look after the children. The far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) has also latched onto the topic of the sinking fertility rate and is calling for more children instead of immigration as a way to combat the lack of skilled workers. Brandner feels that even in 2025, the topic of children is still very widely seen as something that concerns just women. "The many single mothers are being left to cope on their own, while fathers are often let off the hook. For women, having children puts them at huge risk of poverty. It can't be that even today a woman has to give up her prosperity to ensure the prosperity of society," she said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video But Germany isn't the only country experiencing a sinking fertility rate, by far. Numbers are going down drastically across the world, reaching as low as 0.75 in South Korea. Vietnam rang alarm bells earlier this year, when its birth rate hit a record low. The only exception is the Sahel zone, where women are still having more than five children on average. Michaela Kreyenfeld is a sociologist and was one of the experts behind the German government's family report. She sees a growing connection between economic crises and uncertainties and the birth rate. "Is it egoism or simply autonomous behavior that women don't want to have any children? We have been talking about that since the 1970s at least, so it's nothing new," she told DW. What is new, she said, are the multiple crises: "The COVID pandemic, rampant climate change and high inflation. For the young generation in particular, that is a new situation," said Kreyenfeld. A countermovement in the US is trying to buck the trend, with the richest man in the world as its most prominent representative: Pronatalists and Elon Musk want to bring as many children into the world as possible. However, Kreyenfeld pointed to Romania as an example from eastern European history that can serve as a warning. "President Ceausescu used extreme measures, such as limiting access to contraceptives and imposing draconian penalties for abortions, to push the birth rate from 1.8 to four within a year. The result was the 'lost generation' in Romania: the generation in which parents didn't look after their children because they didn't want them." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video So, what can be done to raise the birth rate again without state pressure? Martin Bujard, the deputy director of the Federal Institute for Population Research, has the answer. Bujard, an expert on the birth rate in Germany who knows the statistics of the last two decades down to the last decimal place, said the debate about women like Brander, who have deliberately chosen to remain childless, is missing the real point. "If someone doesn't want to have any children, it's their decision. This shouldn't be stigmatized, and, indeed, it is becoming increasingly acceptable to lead a childless life," he said. What is really at issue here is something else, he said. "We have asked how many children people want, and this showed that in 2024 both women and men wanted about 1.8 children on average — in other words, well over the birth rate of 1.35. If this existing desire for children was fulfilled, we would have fewer demographic problems and much more prosperity in the long run." "Fertility gap" is the term used for the difference between the desired number of children and the birth rate, such as when many women perhaps have just one child instead of the two they would like to have. This can be because they don't find a stable partnership until later in life, because children are increasingly being seen in social debates as a problem and not an asset and/or because the state could do more than it is doing to make it easier to have a family. Bujard praises the family-friendly policies implemented by the German state in the past, such as increasing the number of child care centers and all-day schools and introducing the parental allowance in the early 2000s. He said this had been a paradigm shift that was widely noticed internationally, with Germany having had one of the lowest birth rates in the world. However, he takes a critical view of the current situation. "Since 2013, we have had a legal right to child care, but this is no longer very reliable, as such care is often canceled. There is a shortage of child care workers, and the system receives too little money in the end. If there was enough money there, one could talk about higher pay for child care staff," he said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Germany needs to make a bigger effort again with its family policies, as the current trend is worrying: 22% of women and 36% of men between 30 and 50 years of age do not have children, according to the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. Figures from the Federal Statistical Office show that men in Germany had just 1.24 children on average in 2024. Above all, young female academics are increasingly remaining childless. For this reason, Bujard said, the only way is to improve the compatibility of work and family. "The worst-case scenario is that there will be even more serious problems with social insurance in the long term with a continually sinking birth rate in 2030. That would cause serious harm to prosperity: Contributions for social insurance would have to go up, pensions would be lower, and there would also have to be more cuts in the health system and the care sector," he you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing.
DW
03-08-2025
- Business
- DW
Germany updates: Welfare payments up by €4 billion last year – DW – 08/03/2025
Payments of basic state welfare benefits grew by several billion euros in 2024, according to the German government, Retailers are reporting a surge in shoplifting. Read more on these and other stories from Germany. The German state paid out some €46.9 billion ($54.4 billion) in basic welfare benefits last year, a rise of €4 billion over 2023, the government has said. Experts say the rise was partly caused a significant increase in standard rates in 2023 and 2024 due to inflation adjustments. Just over half the payments went to German citizens. Non-German recipients included several hundred thousand Ukrainians who have fled Russia's full-scale invasion of their country. Meanwhile, a retail association says shops are billions of losses per year due to shoplifting. This type of theft is on the rise and nearly all incidents remain unprosecuted, they incurred losses of some €3 billion ($3.5 billion) through shoplifting in 2024, a fifth more than in 2022, according to the German Trade association (HDE), the umbrella body for the German retail sector. Speaking to the t-online website, HDE managing director Stefan Genth noted a growing problem with highly professional criminal gangs. "Groups of offenders drive [..] through inner cities, steal valuable products — perfume, shoes, electronics — and sell them on the gray market," Genth said. He said there were also more aggressive individual offenders who attacked shop staff if they were detected. Genth also said that almost all offenses went unreported. "Retailers make a complaint to police, only for state prosecutors to drop the case for reasons of efficiency. As a consequence, many retailers are frustrated and don't report thefts to the police," he said, adding: "For that reason, the number of unreported cases is extremely high: 98% of shoplifting offenses are not registered." Genth called for changes to laws, more investment in security and more powers for the judiciary. He also said that his association had so far found no connection between the increasing number of self-service checkouts and the rising shoplifting rate. Germany paid out about €46.9 billion ($54.4 billion) to recipients of state welfare benefits in 2024, a rise of €4 billion compared with the previous year, the government as said. The information was provided the Social Affairs Ministry in response to a parliamentary question from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament. About €24.7 billion (52.6% of the total) went to German citizens and €22.2 billion (47.4%) went to non-German nationals, according to the data — roughly the same distribution as in 2023. The latter group included several hundred thousand Ukrainians who have fled to Germany following Russia's full scale invasion that started in 2022. The Ukrainian nationals received altogether €6.3 billion. The rise in welfare payments has been in part attributed to a large increase in standard rates due to inflation adjustments, as well as to a rise in accommodation and heating costs. The anti-immigration AfD criticized the payments to non-German nationals, saying they were "spiraling out of control." "Foreigners should generally be denied access to citizen's income [Bürgergeld]," said AfD Bundestag member René Springer. It's worth noting, however, that millions of non-German nationals work in the country, paying into the system via taxes and obligatory social program payments. from DW's newsroom in the former West German capital of Bonn! Many Germans are worried that their welfare system will not be able to survive for long in times of global instability. And while the country remains Europe's biggest economy, retailers are reporting a surge in shoplifting. Follow us for stories on how Germany is coping with the myriad of challenges faced by many countries today, as well as a general roundup of major talking points in Bonn, Berlin, and beyond.
Spectator
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
J.D. Vance is right about Germany's civilisational suicide
This week, US Vice President J.D. Vance levelled a blistering critique at Europe, accusing it of 'committing civilisational suicide', and Germany in particular of bringing about its own demise, saying: 'If you have a country like Germany, where you have another few million immigrants come in from countries that are totally culturally incompatible with Germany, then it doesn't matter what I think about Europe… Germany will have killed itself, and I hope they don't do that, because I love Germany and I want Germany to thrive.' While some dismissed his remarks as yet another post-Munich Security Conference jab, Vance insisted his concerns for Germany were sincere. And he seems to have a point. While the US watches these developments from afar, the German mainstream media continues to push the narrative that the country needs 400,000 'skilled workers' annually. This is despite the fact that nearly four million able-bodied people of working age already receive benefits, almost half of whom are non-German citizens. When you include those with German passports who were born overseas, the number rises to around 64 per cent. So, where did it all go wrong for Germany on migration and refugee policy? It began with the Gastarbeiter ('guest workers') invited during the post-war economic boom under Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and his minister for economic affairs (and future Chancellor) Ludwig Erhard. Starting in 1955, Germany recruited labour from Greece, Italy, Spain, and Turkey. What began with 300,000 workers in the 1960s ballooned to 2.6 million by 1973. The introduction of family reunification turned these guests into permanent residents. Although there were efforts to curb immigration and encourage return migration as late as the 1990s, they met with little success. Germany is simply a nicer place to live than Turkey, even if Germans of Turkish origin set off fireworks to celebrate Erdogan's election victories. The floodgates were fully thrown open in 2015 by then-Chancellor Angela Merkel, when she allowed Syrian migrants to enter Europe. Millions of asylum seekers and economic migrants made their way across Europe with little to no vetting. Even though the Syrian civil war has come to an end, almost none want to return home, and a combination of family reunion and lax borders means that asylum seekers keep coming in large numbers. In contrast to the Netherlands and Denmark, Germany has not produced a comprehensive recent cost-benefit analysis of migration. No official lifetime cost estimates exist. Yet the consequences are increasingly visible: rising violent crime, public schools where students of migrant backgrounds make up 42 per cent of the pupils (with some schools reaching 90 per cent), cultural fragmentation, and an overburdened welfare and healthcare system. Even Germany's once-abundant tax revenues are no longer enough. A €172 billion budget shortfall looms, worsened by promises such as a special pension for mothers. Meanwhile, the government is floating the idea of a 'Boomer-Soli', a new tax on 'big pensions' above €1,000 per month. The warning lights are flashing, but the government continues to kick the can down the road. Painful, necessary reforms to the welfare state, pensions, and immigration policy are endlessly postponed or even ignored. Instead, policymakers debate introducing migrant quotas in public schools, some of which already serve only halal food and have reportedly abandoned Christmas celebrations in favour of mandatory Ramadan events. Meanwhile, thousands of individuals in Germany have faced lawsuits for sharing memes, voicing criticism, or insulting politicians. Most of these cases were brought by politicians from the left: the Green party, the Free democrats (FDP) and the Social Democratic party (SPD). In one case, a pensioner was subjected to a police search and later sentenced simply for sharing a meme. A journalist from a right-wing populist publication received a suspended prison sentence and a fine for posting an image of former Interior Minister Nancy Faeser edited so that she was holding a sign that read: 'I hate freedom of speech'. Economically, things look equally bleak. After a disastrous trade deal between the EU and the Trump administration, Germany's once-mighty automotive industry faces another blow amid already collapsing revenues. Even the unions seem more focused on climate activism and class struggle than job security. Well-paid industrial jobs, they hope, will be preserved by the 'green economy'. Some hope. After five years without significant economic growth, any rational politician should be deeply alarmed. Instead, Chancellor Friedrich Merz touts vague promises that 61 companies are ready to invest €631 billion in Germany. He seems to hold the misguided view that subsidies alone can salvage what remains of Germany's crumbling economic model. It is a sobering reality when the Vice President of a foreign country appears more concerned with Germany's future and problems than its own political class.
Newsweek
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
How to Watch Semifinal: England vs Italy: Live Stream UEFA Women's Euro 2025, TV Channel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Four teams remain in the 2025 UEFA Women's Euro tournament, and after Tuesday's match between England and Italy, one of the spots in the final will be decided. Will it be England or Italy that advances? You can watch the action on FOX. Alex Greenwood of England shoots the ball during the UEFA Womens EURO 2025 Quarter-Final match between Sweden and England at Stadion Letzigrund on July 17, 2025 in Zurich, Switzerland. Alex Greenwood of England shoots the ball during the UEFA Womens EURO 2025 Quarter-Final match between Sweden and England at Stadion Letzigrund on July 17, 2025 in Zurich, Switzerland. Photo byHow to Watch Semifinal: England vs Italy Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2025 Time: 3:00 PM EDT Channel: FOX Location: Stade de Genève Stream: Fubo (TRY FOR FREE) England and Sweden drew even at 2-2 in the quarter finals, with the English side coming back from a 2-0 deficit with a pair of quick goals in the second half. In the 79th minute, the team got on the board with a Lucy Bronze goal, followed immediately two minutes later by the tying goal from Michelle Agyemang. The defending champions of this event aim to become the first non-German team to win back-to-back Euros. Italy is coming off a 2-1 win over Norway in the quarter finals. Cristiana Girelli was the hero of the game for the Italian side, scoring a pair of goals, including the 90th-minute game winner. Two-time runners-up in this event, a win would put Italy just a step away from its first Euro title and would send it through to the final for the first time since 1997. You can live stream the UEFA Women's Euro semifinals on Fubo. Start your free trial now to catch all the great women's soccer action. Live stream the Semifinal: England vs Italy on Fubo: Start your free trial now! Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
Local Germany
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Local Germany
Does having a baby in Germany make it easier for parents to become citizens?
If you're a foreigner – and not an EU citizen – in Germany and see it as your home for the foreseeable future, you might have thought about becoming a German citizen to guarantee your residency rights and gain some new ones in the process. The naturalisation process in Germany is complicated. Generally, you need to have been legally resident in the country for five years, be financially self-sufficient, and able to demonstrate a reasonable command of the German language, as well as German laws and norms. Will having a German born child could in your favour? Not necessarily. Having a German child won't fast track or guarantee your naturalisation process per se, but there are a few indirect advantages. Long-term residence, integration, and family ties (such as raising a child in Germany) can strengthen the parents' case for permanent residence or naturalisation over time. One thing that will definitely speed things up - effectively allowing you to apply for naturalisation after three years of residence (instead of five) - is being married to a German mother or father of the child. That's provided you've been married for at least two years. This is because marriage to a German citizen is considered an integration factor and shortens the minimum residence time. READ ALSO: How to become a German citizen through marriage Regarding your child's citizenship status, if they are born in Germany to at least one German parent they will automatically be considered German themselves. Alternatively, if they are born in the country and at least one parent has been legally resident in Germany for at least five years , then they may also automatically gain German citizenship. If not, they can apply for citizenship after they've been resident in the country for five years themselves - so from their fifth birthday if they stay in the country. Does having a child in Germany change my residency rights? Having a child born in Germany does not automatically change your rights to residency. You will have the same permit you did before, and if it was linked to employment, for example, you could still lose it if you lose your job. Any extensions will still be subject to the same conditions as before you had a child . A growing number of children are being born to international families in Germany. Photo: Kliimkin / Pixabay However, having a German child can improve your residence rights if you are not German yourself. Residence permits based on "family reunification" are granted for spouses, registered partners or unmarried minor children. And, as a non-German parent of a German citizen, you may be entitled to a residence permit to care for the child (under §28 Aufenthaltsgesetz – German Residence Act). READ ALSO: Reader question - Can you naturalise as German while on parental leave? Advertisement What about permits for the newborn? If at least one of the parents has legal residency in Germany, then a residence permit for the newborn will usually be issued automatically. However, if this doesn't happen, parents are responsible for applying for a permit for their babies before they turn six months old. If you're EU citizens, then you just need an Anmeldebescheinigung , which you'll get when you register the baby's birth. You need to do this at the Standesamt (registry office) within one week of their birth. READ ALSO: Who's exempt from taking a citizenship test for naturalisation? A matter of human rights Real-life cases and jurisprudence, along with international laws, make a big difference regarding children's rights. The respect for the child's best interests is enshrined in Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which deals with the right to respect for private and family life, home and correspondence. This can be argued when not granting a permit to a third-country national parent would endanger a child's welfare due to loss of contact. If a non-German child or their parent were at risk of expulsion from Germany, Article 8 could be invoked in a case arguing that residence should be granted because the child was already enrolled in school in the country, for example. Advertisement One notable case in 2015 involved a German minor who had been born to a foreign parent who did not have an independent residence permit initially. The court ruled in favour of the parent. The Berlin-Brandenburg Administrative Court ruled the parent's deportation unlawful on the grounds that it would effectively force their minor German child to leave Germany, thereby violating the child's right to reside in their home country and undermine their access to education, healthcare, and social services. This case is widely cited as a strong precedent in German administrative law protecting family unity and the residence rights of parents of German children.
