The share of children growing up in large families in Germany has been rising again in recent years, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), driven mainly by immigration since 2015.

That figure had declined from 25 percent in 1996 to 23 percent in 2015, but then rose again to 26 percent by 2024.

"The development over the past ten years is likely due mainly to immigration starting in 2015," Destatis said.

Families with a migration background were found to have three or more children nearly twice as often as families without foreign roots. In 2024, 19 percent of migrant families had at least three children, compared to around 10 percent of other families.

The size of families in Germany

Also in 2024, 8 percent of children lived with three or more siblings, while 18 percent had two siblings. The largest group — 44 percent — lived with one sibling, and 30 percent were only children.

Larger families were slightly more common in the western federal states, where 13 percent of families had at least three children, compared to 11 percent in eastern Germany.

The figures come from the annual microcensus, which surveys 1 percent of the population. Families are defined as parent-child groups living in the same household — children who have moved out are not included.

Author: Richard Connor

First published: June 23, 2025

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