Large families in Germany: immigration for the future?

Large families in Germany: immigration for the future?

Lots of children, lots of challenges – that’s how you could sum up the family situation in Germany. In 2024, one in four children lived in a household with at least three siblings, which is an increase compared to previous years. This emerges from a current analysis published by the Federal Office. The increasing number of large families is closely linked to immigration since 2015, which in many cases brings with it large families. These families particularly often have a migrant background, which further shapes their living situation. Interestingly, it is becoming apparent that fewer and fewer children are growing up without siblings, which reflects a fundamental change in society. Nachrichtenleicht reports that…

What is the situation exactly? In Germany, a family with three or more children is considered to have many children. Although this definition is not uniform, there is clear data on the actual living conditions. Over 1 million families in Germany have three children, 210,000 have four and around 75,000 even have five or more children. In Baden-Württemberg in particular, there are around 172,000 families with three children. According to statistics, around 10% of all families in Germany have three children, while only 2% have four or more children. [Statistik BW provides figures on this](https://www.statistics-bw.de/Service/Veroeff/ Monatshefte/20150302).

Various life situations

The life models of these families with large children are extremely diverse. This includes not only traditional family forms, but also patchwork families and single parents. What is particularly noteworthy is that many of these households have a strong migrant background. Almost half of the mothers and almost 50% of the fathers with four or more children do not come from Germany. Their educational and career opportunities are often lower, which of course has an impact on the family's financial situation.

Where is the trend going? While mothers with large children have a lower labor force participation rate in Germany, this indicator is higher in countries such as Denmark and Sweden. In Germany, 24% of all couple families with three or more children are considered to be at risk of poverty, even if many live in economically secure circumstances. The challenges for these families are often great, and prejudiced assumptions about their way of life, such as the inability to use contraception or financial exploitation of the social system, are not uncommon. It is time to rethink these perspectives. BMFSFJ points out these challenges.

What does Rocco Thiede, the father of six children and author of a book about life in large families, say? His work opens eyes to the complex reality of this way of life. The media is also reacting to this trend: a German television station is planning a documentary that focuses on this family-rich class. The focus here is primarily on the challenges that many of these families face.

The discussion about the messages and the reality of life in families with large children makes it clear that we as a society must find new ways to respond to the needs and challenges of this particularly diverse family type. The next generation growing up in these large households should be given a fair chance at a happy and successful life.