Childlessness Among Men in Germany Rising Significantly

The proportion of childless men in Germany has increased to 40 percent, up from nearly 34 percent in 1980, according to data from the GESIS Leibniz Institute for Social Sciences. The increase is most pronounced among men in traditional family founding ages. For men aged 30 to 34, the childless rate rose from 42 percent to 69 percent, while for those aged 35 to 39, the rate climbed from 22 percent to 54 percent. Data from the Federal Institute for Population Research in Wiesbaden also shows a decline in stable partnerships. In 1986, 93 percent of men in a specific age group were in a fixed partnership, a figure that fell to 79 percent by 2024. Professor Claudia Rahnfeld of the Dual Hochschule Gera Eisenach attributes these trends to structural hurdles. She notes that financial stability, professional establishment, and available housing are being delayed, which often leaves the desire for children unfulfilled. Additionally, Rahnfeld points to increased selectivity in partner choice. She suggests that as women become more emancipated, they choose more consciously whom to have children with, a trend previously observed in Scandinavian countries.