In 2023, slightly over 155,000 children were born in Romania. In Germany, 14,388 children were born to Romanian mothers.
Over the past 24 years, the number of newborns from Romanian mothers in Germany has increased nearly tenfold.
More than 154,000 Romanian children were born in Germany between 2000 and 2023, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) in Germany, provided at the request of Ziarul Financiar.
The number of children born to Romanian mothers in Germany has risen from 1,458 in 2000 to a peak of 15,644 in 2021 and reached 14,388 in 2023.
A significant increase is observed in 2012-2013, when the number of children born to Romanian mothers rises from 3,206 to 4,230 and continues to grow rapidly in the following years.
Between 2014 and 2016, the number of children with Romanian mothers in Germany nearly doubles, from 5,551 in 2014 to 10,504 in 2016. After reaching a peak in 2021 with 15,644 births, the number begins to slightly decrease to 14,945 in 2022 and 14,388 in 2023.
In 2023, slightly over 155,000 children were born in Romania, and 14,388 children were born to Romanian mothers in Germany. Therefore, if the parents of these children had stayed in the country, Romania would have had nearly 10% more newborns last year.
In 2000, children born to Romanian mothers represented only 0.20% of total births in Germany.
This proportion gradually increased, reaching 2.10% in 2023.
Sociologically, the growth can be attributed to the increased migration of Romanians to Germany, especially after Romania's accession to the European Union in 2007, which allowed greater freedom of movement and work within the member states.
In Romania, the birth rate has plummeted in recent years, so migration has led to an overall population increase. Although the number of births decreased by 89,500 people in the last year, it was offset by that of immigrants, estimated by Eurostat at 99,400 people.
The birth rate in Romania has continued to remain at a low level in recent years. Despite some monthly fluctuations, the total number of births has remained below the population replacement level.
The pandemic has had a significant impact on birth rates in many countries, including Romania. The economic and social uncertainty generated by the pandemic has led many young people to postpone the decision to have children.