According to statistics, Germany, which was heavily struck by the virus in the previous year, had the highest birth rate since 1998. In March, the country had 65,903 births, which was 5,900 higher than in 2020. In 2020, Germany's birth rate was lower than the previous year. Then again, the number of deaths due to COVID-19 also rose sharply that year.
Germany has one of the oldest populations in the world. In 2016, there were 83 million people in Germany and it was estimated that this figure would drop to 70 million by 2050. At such a rate of decline, there will be no one under 15 years old by 2100.
This is because the life expectancy in Germany is currently around 80 years. It is expected that this will increase to 88 by 2100.
The German government has not said anything about its plan for population change after 2020, but many experts believe that immigration will become important then. Germany took in nearly 1 million refugees in 2015, which was the most per capita than any other country. So far, most of them have been able to find employment and integrate into German society. But there are concerns that this may not be the case in the long run.
Since 2013, there has been a debate in Germany about allowing more older people to stay alive longer.
In 2019, there were 778,000 births in Germany. According to fresh estimates released by Germany's federal statistics agency, that is 9,400 less than the previous year, resulting in a birth rate of 1.54 per woman. That's 0.14% lower than the rate reported a year earlier.
The number of deaths in 2019 was estimated to be 723,000. That's about 6,000 more than the previous year, resulting in a death rate of 9.3 per thousand people. That's 0.6% higher than the rate reported a year earlier.
Germany has a low fertility rate and a high mortality rate. In 2016 they were 1.47 children born per woman and 0.95 deaths per thousand people. These numbers are below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman and below the global average of 5.5 deaths per thousand people.
There are several factors leading to a decline in birth rates in Germany. The most important one is probably the increasing availability of contraception. It used to be difficult to obtain condoms or contraceptive pills before 18, but now they can be bought at any pharmacy. This change has helped reduce unintended pregnancies and abortions.
Another factor is the rising income of German women. If you take out insurance, you can get coverage for contraception services.
China and the United States are battling with declining birth rates, but Germany has defied the trend by increasing births nine months after its first pandemic lockdown, owing to recent family-friendly legislation and rising migration. The country's birth rate is now back at a level considered sustainable by experts.
The number of babies born in Germany rose 1 percent to 2 million in 2019, the second highest rise on record, according to data released this week by the Federal Statistics Office (Destatis). There were two main factors behind the increase, said Dr. Stefan Schumacher, state secretary for families at the federal ministry of health. "First, there was a rise due to new mothers who gave birth for the first time during the pandemic," he told AFP. "And second, we saw an increase because more old mothers had their lifetime quota of children."
Germany's population fell from around 81 million in 2016 to around 80 million in 2017 for the first time since 1945 because people are having fewer children and they are dying earlier. In fact, deaths exceeded births for the first time in recent history. But the decline has stopped because more people are being born than dying, especially among the young and middle-aged.
In Germany, births in 2020 were down only 0.6 percent and remained stable in January, indicating that the first coronavirus lockdown had little effect on reproductive decisions. The number of babies being born remains well above pre-industrial levels.
The German birth rate is currently at its lowest level since 1990. In 2019, there were 1.23 babies per woman, compared with 1.52 in 2004. The decline is mainly due to more women entering higher education and finding better jobs, rather than fewer people having children. However, some studies have shown a decrease in the birth rate for economically less advantaged groups.
There are several factors behind the decline in the birth rate. Women are waiting longer before having their first child or taking time off after the baby is born. Many also choose to work from home when they have a child, which can mean staying in school or looking for a job that allows for flexible working hours. Some also choose to freeze their eggs or have a donor embryo transplant, options that weren't available ten years ago.
Another factor is the increase in the use of assisted reproduction techniques (ART). This includes in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other treatments such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
Niger The following are the 10 nations with the highest birth rates (average yearly number of births per 1,000 inhabitants per year): Angola (43.7) Nigeria (43.6) Mali (43.2) Birth Rates by Country in 2021
Country | Birth Rate | 2021 Population |
---|---|---|
Niger | 44.2 | 25,130,817 |
Angola | 44.2 | 33,933,610 |
Mali | 43.9 | 20,855,735 |
Uganda | 42.9 | 47,123,531 |
Niger also boasts the world's highest birth rate, with 44.2 births per 1,000 inhabitants. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, and Chad are next with 5.9, 5.9, and 5.7 children per woman, respectively. Iraq has the lowest birth rate, at 3.3 babies per woman.
The most reliable data source for fertility rates is the World Health Organization (WHO). It collects information on all countries' reproductive health practices through a series of surveys called Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). The most recent edition was conducted in Nigeria from 2006 to 2010. After analyzing responses from women aged 15-49, WHO reports that the total fertility rate in Niger is 6.3 children per woman. This means that after multiplying 6.3 by 1000 to get an estimate of the number of births needed to replace the population, you get 57,300 births needed every 10 years just to keep populations stable.
Although DHS does not ask about cause of death, the leading causes of death for children under five years old are similar to those for older children and adults. These include respiratory infections, diarrhea, malaria, malnutrition, and childbirth complications.
In addition to the DHS, the United Nations Population Division compiles estimates on fertility rates based on data collected from a variety of sources including governments, international organizations, and private companies.
According to data from the Robert Koch Institute, 80 percent of all those infected in Germany are under the age of 60. As a result, the country's death rate is fairly low for the time being, because the sick are comparably young.
The German mortality rate was previously high because more people were affected by tuberculosis than today. The disease was not only fatal but also caused considerable disability. Since the beginning of the 21st century, however, TB has been on the decline across Europe, and Germany is no exception. New cases have dropped by about 20 percent since 2005 and 2014 saw the lowest number of new infections in nearly 70 years.
The reason for this success story is said to be the improved treatment of patients which has led to fewer deaths. In addition, Germany has adopted a policy of including TuB in its list of mandatory vaccinations for school entry. This means that children born after 1995 do not need a medical certificate to prove that they have been vaccinated against TB.
The mortality rate in Germany remains high compared with many other countries though. There are two reasons for this: first, the health care system is inefficient because there is no national insurance scheme; instead, patients have to pay for their treatments out of their own pockets. This leaves the poor and the unemployed people particularly vulnerable to high costs.