Visualising Age-Specific Fertility Patterns in the Former German Democratic Republic (GDR) and in East Germany, 1956-2024

Abstract

In this contribution, the authors visualise how fertility dynamics have changed in East Germany over a period of 69 years, covering much of the existence of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the societal transformation following reunification and the more recent past. The Lexis surface plot provides an intuitive understanding of the underlying developments that have contributed to the change in the age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs). It reveals distinct periods of fertility timing. Two major period effects profoundly reshaped age-specific fertility patterns in East Germany in the second half of the 20th century.