Approximately 1.61 million women and men in Germany received parental allowance payments (Elterngeld) in 2025. According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Thursday, this figure represented a decrease of about 62,000, or 3.7 percent, compared to 2024. The number of men receiving the allowance rose by 15,000, or 3.4 percent, from the previous year to reach 417,000, while the number of women receiving benefits rose by 47,000, or 3.8 percent, to 1.19 million. Consequently, the total number of people receiving parental allowance saw a decline for the fourth consecutive year, standing 13.9 percent lower than in 2021. This trend mirrors the decrease in birth rates over recent years.
In 2025, 648,000 recipients planned to use Parental Allowance Plus (Elterngeld Plus), corresponding to 45.2 percent of eligible mothers and 26.1 percent of fathers. Overall, the share of recipients who planned to use Parental Allowance Plus-to some degree-while on their allowance reached 40.3 percent (compared to 36.7 percent in 2024). Thus, since its introduction, Parental Allowance Plus has become increasingly popular. For comparison, in 2016, the first year it was available, 20.1 percent of mothers and 8.2 percent of fathers opted for Parental Allowance Plus.
Parental Allowance Plus is paid out at a lower monthly rate than the basic parental allowance, but it is provided for a longer duration. If both parents work part-time concurrently, recipients can benefit from the partnership bonus, potentially extending Parental Allowance Plus for up to four additional months. However, only 8.3 percent of people receiving Parental Allowance Plus utilized this option.
In 2025, the proportion utilized by fathers stood at 25.9 percent, remaining nearly unchanged from the previous year (2024: 25.8 percent). In 2024, the male share experienced a slight decline, marking an end to the consistent increase observed since 2015, when it was 20.9 percent.
When comparing among German states, Saxony led in 2025 with a male share of 30.0 percent, followed by Baden-Württemberg (28.0 percent) and Bavaria (27.6 percent). The lowest proportion was recorded in Saarland (21.0 percent), which remained consistent with the previous year.
The average planned duration of receiving parental allowance for women in 2025 was stable at 14.9 months. By contrast, the target duration for men was significantly shorter, averaging 3.8 months, and showed near-constant levels compared to previous years (2024: 3.8 months; 2023: 3.7 months).