Child welfare cases in Germany hit record 79,800 in 2025
German youth offices logged 79,800 child welfare risk cases in 2025, up 10% from 72,800 in 2024, according to the Federal Statistical Office. The tally has more than doubled since 2012, when offices recorded 38,300…
Source: Federal Statistical Office Germany · August 13, 2026 at 7:45 AM · AI-assisted report
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KUALA LUMPUR, 13 AUGUST 2026 —
German youth offices logged 79,800 child welfare risk cases in 2025, up 10% from 72,800 in 2024, according to the Federal Statistical Office. The tally has more than doubled since 2012, when offices recorded 38,300 cases. The increase follows four consecutive annual rises.
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Higher vigilance, better cooperation among child-protection workers and legal changes may explain the rise, alongside a possible increase in actual abuse and neglect, the Federal Statistical Office said. Neglect accounted for 58% of the 2025 cases, psychological abuse 38%, physical abuse 29% and sexual violence 5%. A quarter of the children showed signs of multiple risks, up from 16% in 2015.
The average age of affected children was 8.5 years; half were aged eight or younger and a quarter four or younger. Just over half (51%) lived with both parents or a single parent. Nearly three in ten were already known to youth services before a new assessment.
Police and courts provided 30% of the warnings that triggered assessments, neighbours and relatives supplied 22%, schools and day-care centres 16%, and children or parents 9%. Assessments rose 12% to 268,300 cases, outpacing the increase in confirmed risks.
In 91% of confirmed cases, youth offices arranged help or protection measures, and in 18% they asked family courts to intervene. In 74% of cases the risk came from a parent; in 4% from a stepparent or new partner; and in 5% from another person. In 9% multiple individuals were involved.
The Federal Statistical Office cautioned that the figures cover only reported cases and do not reflect unreported abuse or neglect. Destatis said the data are a “Hellfeld-Statistik,” capturing only those risks brought to authorities’ attention.