Germany Joins EU's 'Ultra-Low' Fertility Club

Three more EU member states -- including the most populous, Germany -- have joined the list of countries with 'ultra-low' fertility rates [non-paywalled source], highlighting the extent of the region's demographic challenges. Financial Times: Official statistics show Germany's birth rate fell to 1.35 children per woman in 2023, below the UN's 'ultra-low' threshold of 1.4 -- characterising a scenario where falling birth rates become tough to reverse.

Estonia and Austria also passed under the 1.4 threshold, joining the nine EU countries -- including Spain, Greece and Italy -- that in 2022 had fertility rates below 1.4 children per woman. The fall in birth rates partially reflects the 'postponement of parenthood until the 30s,' which involves a 'higher likelihood that you will not have as many children as you would like because of the biological clock,' said Willem Adema, senior economist at the OECD.

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