health
In this European country, every THIRD CHILD was born by C-section: The key role of midwives and obstetricians
The rate of C-sections in German hospitals has reached its highest level since records began, according to the German Federal Statistical Office.
TL;DR
- 33% of hospital births in Germany in 2024 were C-sections, a record high.
- The C-section rate has more than doubled since 1991 (15%).
- In 2024, 215,900 out of 654,600 births were C-sections.
- Regional variations exist, with Hamburg (36.4%) having the highest C-section rate and Saxony (27.4%) the lowest.
- Natural births accounted for 60.1% of deliveries.
- The number of midwives and obstetricians in German hospitals increased by 3.3% to around 12,900 in 2024.