Women in Europe are having their first child later and later: according to the European statistical agency Eurostat, women in the EU were on average 29.7 years old in 2021. According to comparable results available since 2013, the average age of first-time mothers has risen continuously: in 2013 it was 28.8 years.

With an average age of 30.1 years, Germany is in the upper third of the EU countries, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office. The age of women at first birth in 2021 was particularly high in Spain and Italy (both 31.6 years), followed by Luxembourg (31.3 years) and Ireland (31.2 years). In contrast, women in the Eastern European EU countries have their first child comparatively early, the earliest in Bulgaria (26.5 years).

In order for the population of a country without immigration not to shrink, in purely mathematical terms about 2.1 children would have to be born per woman. In all EU member states, the birth rate in 2021 was significantly lower: on average, a woman had 1.53 children in 2021.