Although women’s rights have come a long way over the last 100 years, there are still aspects of society in which equality is lacking. It was not, in fact, until 1977 that women in Western Germany were allowed to enter employment (outside of the home) without the permission of their husband, and when it comes to average wages men are still
.
As in many other countries, the life of women in Germany is connected to an enormous spectrum of various experiences. These experiences, in turn, are further based on
, upbringing, social interaction at different ages and in different situations, educational opportunities, employment, political legislation, health care, safety considerations, families, and relationships – the list continues.
Women in society
The German population is almost evenly split by gender, though as of 2022 there were
more women than men. Encouragingly so, the
unemployment rate for women in the country has been generally dropping year after year since 2005, with 5.5 percent recorded in 2023. Since the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a small increase in unemployment numbers. Germany still has some catching up to do, though, in terms of the share of
women in leadership positions. Healthcare was the only profession in which over 35 percent of leadership positions were held by women. The construction and engineering industries did not even have a female leadership share of ten percent. When comparing countries globally, Germany had one of the lowest shares of
female entrepreneurs.
Women and relationships
Romantic relationships are no longer dominated by the idea of marriage and children, or at least it has become more socially acceptable if these events do not take place. Many women may find themselves in long-term relationships and have children with their partner down the line, possibly getting married afterwards, to make just one example. On average, women in Germany
got married at 33 years old. While in the 90s most women got married in their twenties, this figure steadily went up in later years. Most women have their
first child around their thirtieth birthday. These developments are all part of a broader
change in demographics that has been taking place in Germany, as well as increasing diversity in how gender roles are perceived and lived. Although many women may still feel pressure to have a family, there is a movement to create a culture in which women can choose how they want their life to look, whether that is having a family, focusing on a career, or something else entirely and are free of judgement.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no
liability for the information given being complete or correct.
Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date
data than referenced in the text.
