Economics
How Germany Is Defusing a Demographic Time Bomb
Generous policies are turning the tide after decades of anemic birth rates.
Germany Learns to Love Babies
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One of the latest signs of hope for Germany’s aging population is a chubby-cheeked Berliner named Nina Rosa. Born just after Christmas, she’s part of a surprising baby bump that’s easing concerns about the economic impact of a looming demographic crunch.
Bolstered by an array of family-friendly policies, German fertility rates—among the world’s lowest for decades—are at their highest levels since the 1970s, according to the latest World Bank data. Combined with an influx of immigrants from other European countries, as well as refugees from the Middle East, the increase in freshly baked Germans helps address the risk of waning competitiveness as baby boomers retire in the coming years.