Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Germany
Germany: Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits was 2.6% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Germany, 1980–2021
Source: OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2021, female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Germany stood at 2.6%.
That represents a change of down 3.6% on the previous year and up 26.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Germany peaked at 2.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 1989.
That places Germany 12th out of 41 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Germany, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 2.0% | — |
| 1981 | 2.1% | +2.3% |
| 1982 | 1.8% | -10.6% |
| 1983 | 1.7% | -9.2% |
| 1984 | 1.6% | -6.5% |
| 1985 | 1.5% | -4.7% |
| 1986 | 1.5% | +1.7% |
| 1987 | 1.6% | +3.0% |
| 1988 | 1.5% | -2.8% |
| 1989 | 1.5% | -4.2% |
| 1990 | 1.8% | +25.9% |
| 1991 | 2.1% | +15.0% |
| 1992 | 2.2% | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 2.2% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 2.1% | -4.7% |
| 1995 | 2.1% | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 2.0% | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 2.0% | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 2.0% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 2.1% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 2.0% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 2.0% | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 2.1% | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 2.1% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 2.0% | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 2.0% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 1.7% | -15.2% |
| 2007 | 1.8% | +4.5% |
| 2008 | 1.9% | +4.7% |
| 2009 | 2.1% | +13.9% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 2.1% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 2.1% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 2.2% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 2.2% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 2.2% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 2.3% | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 2.3% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 2.3% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 2.4% | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 2.7% | +15.8% |
| 2021 | 2.6% | -3.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.7% | 1.5% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.1% | 1.8% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.0% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.7% | 2.6% | 2.7% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More work & labour data for Germany
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0436 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0549 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0322 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.95 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.0388 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 66,826 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 12,413 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 35,391 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 35,508 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 70,900 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Germany?
- Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Germany was 2.6% in 2021, according to OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment vs. public spending on family benefits recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 2.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest female employment vs. public spending on family benefits recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 1989.
- How does Germany rank for female employment vs. public spending on family benefits?
- Germany ranks 12th out of 41 countries with data for 2021.
- Is female employment vs. public spending on family benefits rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Germany data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Public social expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage. Includes both in-cash and in-kind benefits in family programs.