In 2024, caesarean-section births accounted for 33% of hospital deliveries in Germany, the highest rate since reunification.
A total of 654,600 women gave birth in hospitals last year, with 215,900 (33%) undergoing C-sections. This marks a significant increase from 1991, when the rate stood at just 15% — meaning the C-section rate has more than doubled in over three decades.
Regional Variation
The rate varies considerably across Germany. Hamburg recorded the highest rate at 36.4%, followed by Saarland and Hesse. At the other end of the spectrum, Saxony had the lowest rate at 27.4%, with Brandenburg and Berlin also falling below the national average.
Other Delivery Methods
While C-sections account for one-third of births, the majority of deliveries still occur naturally:
- Vacuum extraction was used in 6.7% of births.
- Forceps were used in a very small number of cases — just 0.2%.
- Natural birth occurred in 60.1% of hospital deliveries.