Social change and declines in marriage and fertility in Eastern Germany

Between 1989 and 1994, the birth rate in Eastern Germany (the former German Democratic Republic) fell from 12.0 to 5.1 per 1,000, while fertility in the West remained stable at around 11.0 per 1,000. In addition, marriage rates in the East have been cut in half The social and economic conditions surrounding marriage and parenthood have changed significantly since 1989 in post-socialist East Germany (e.g., higher unemployment and less generous family policies). Using a gender perspective, I argue that in the insecure economic times following German unification, East German women are likely to regard the responsibility of getting married and raising children as a risky, long-term commitment they are reluctant to enter. Evidence from various data sources shows that since 1989 changes in the nature of employment and reductions in state support for family leave, child care, and abortion have contributed to declining marriage and birth rates in the new German states.