Births: Fewer caesarean sections in Berlin and Brandenburg than in the federal government

Big regional differences

“There are major regional differences in Germany when it comes to obstetric care,” said the statisticians. The proportion of deliveries by caesarean section was highest in Hamburg at 36.4 percent. This was followed by Saarland with a caesarean section rate of 35.9 percent and Hesse with 35.6 percent.

654,600 women gave birth in hospital in 2024, 215,900 of them by cesarean section. According to statistics, the cesarean section rate has more than doubled since 1991: At that time, only 15 percent of all hospital births were a cesarean section.

Ten percent is absolutely necessary

In addition to the cesarean section, there are other methods of obstetric care, as the office announced on the occasion of International Midwife Day on May 5th. A suction cup was used in 6.7 percent of deliveries in 2024, and forceps in 0.2 percent of deliveries. 60.1 percent of women in the hospital gave birth naturally.

According to the German Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics, around ten percent of all cesarean sections are absolutely necessary to save the lives of mother and child. The reasons include a transverse position of the child, pregnancy poisoning or a rupture of the uterus. 90 percent of all cesarean sections are carried out after weighing up the birth risks for mother and child. Common indications include abnormal heart sounds or a lack of progress in labor.