The figure 1.35 should set off alarm bells for policymakers: on average, each woman in Germany now has just 1.35 children — a record low, and far below the 2.1 needed to keep the population stable. These latest calculations from the Federal Statistical Office underscore the scale of the demographic challenge. In 2025, about 650,000 children were born in Germany, down from around 677,000 the year before. In both years, around one million people died. By December 31, 2025, the population stood at