Germany's fertility rate on the rise

The German Federal Statistics Office on Wednesday reported a rise in Germany's fertility rate in 2014. Last year, the total fertility rate in Germany was 1.47 children per woman. In 2013, the figure was 1.42. In real terms, this amounts to 56 more babies born per 1,000 women than the year before.

In a statement on its website, the Statistics Office said the 2014 figure is "the highest value measured since German reunification." However, in global comparisons, Germany's fertility rate is among the lowest in the world.

The figures show that non-German women living in Germany have a higher fertility rate (1.86 children per woman) than German citizens (1.42), but both categories saw an increase compared to last year. Women in German states that were formerly East Germany had a slightly higher fertility rate than women in western German states.

The average age of child-bearing woman also rose last year. In 2014, the average mother of a first-born child was 29.5 years old, two months older than the previous period.

Germany is home to more people than any other EU country, with the population exceeding 80 million. However, the authorities worry that the aging population could eventually make the social system in the country unstable.

The birth rate still lags behind the death rate, as it has consistently since 1972.