Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on October 24, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleGerman mothers earn €30,000 less than childless peers, with younger mothers facing more career challenges, according to a new study.
BERLIN (Reuters) -The loss of income for women after the birth of their first child is significantly greater in Germany than previously assumed, according to a study by the Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research ZEW seen by Reuters on Friday.
In the fourth year after giving birth, mothers earn on average almost 30,000 euros ($35,000) less than women of the same age without children, according to the study done together with the Netherlands' Tilburg University.
Previous estimates had been around 20,000 euros.
MORE CHALLENGING FOR WOMEN UNDER 30
The losses develop differently depending on how old a woman is when she first gives birth, according to the study conducted among 186,000 mothers.
If women become mothers for the first time under the age of 30, apart from income losses, they also miss important career steps in the particularly formative early phase of their working life, said study co-author Lukas Riedel.
Women who have children at a later point have already gone through this phase, which often involves high wage growth, and have established themselves in the labour market, the researchers said.
As a result, they do record stronger absolute declines in income levels, for example due to reduced working hours.
"In the long term, however, they find it easier to resume their careers after giving birth," said Riedel.
($1 = 0.8575 euros)
(Reporting by Christian Kraemer and Maria MartinezEditing by Miranda Murray)
Income inequality refers to the unequal distribution of income within a population, where certain groups earn significantly more than others, often leading to economic disparities.
An employment opportunity is a job opening or position available for individuals seeking work, often influenced by market demand and economic conditions.
The impact of motherhood on income refers to the financial consequences women may face after having children, often resulting in lower earnings compared to those without children.
Career progression is the advancement of an individual's career through promotions, increased responsibilities, and professional development, often influenced by experience and opportunities.
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