Germany has been facing a fertility problem for decades as the aging population has far outnumbered new births, but thanks to the refugees coming into the country, the German birthrate has hit a 33-year high.
Newly released numbers by the Federal Statistics Office showed that the birthrate in 2015 was 1.5 births per woman, which is the highest its been since 1982.
It is believed that migrant women, who had a birthrate of 1.95, are the major players in giving Germany the boost it has needed. Non-migrant German women had a much lower rate of 1.43 births, up slightly though from 2014’s 1.42.
The numbers are certainly a welcomed changed for Germany, as the country has the world’s second largest aging population next to Japan. In order for Germany to ensure its population will regenerate as the older citizens pass, the birthrate still has some work to do. It has been said that in order for the German population to replace itself, the minimum fertility rate needs to reach 2.0 births per woman.
