Motherhood and Mental Health Under Pressure
03.07.25
Germany – Survey results from Germany reveal a troubling picture: mothers are under intense strain — mentally, economically, and socially.
Collected as part of Make Mothers Matter’s European survey with Kantar, the data shows that German mothers report some of the highest rates of mental health challenges across the 12 countries surveyed.
Key Figures
- 26% of mothers report depression (EU average: 20%)
- 46% feel mentally overloaded
- 68% change their employment status after having children (EU average: 55%)
- 21% leave paid work after their first child
- 44% feel society does not value their role
What’s Behind the Numbers?
Structural and cultural pressures combine to make motherhood especially challenging in Germany:
- Tax disincentives like Ehegattensplitting
- Shortage of childcare and full-day schools
- Stigma against working mothers (Rabenmutter)
- Lack of recognition for unpaid care work
Experts like Prof. Jutta Allmendinger and advocates from Verband berufstätiger Mütter e.V. (VBM) and the Unpaid Care Work initiative warn that without reform, these pressures risk driving more women out of the workforce — and into long-term financial insecurity.
Need for change
MMM calls for urgent action to:
- Invest in maternal mental health
- Support unpaid care work
- Reform family and employment policies
The German findings will be shared publicly at the Mothers of Europe exhibition on July 9 at 17:00 CET in Cologne.
🔗 Download the Germany snapshot (PDF)
🔗 State of Motherhood in Europe home page
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