Longer Hours in German Daycares Highlight Rising Demand and Staffing Challenges

The past decade has seen a significant increase in daycare attendance hours, but staffing shortages persist despite growing numbers of trained professionals.

• The number of children with daycare agreements exceeding 35 hours per week rose by 30% between 2014 and 2024, with 64% of these children attending over 45 hours weekly.
• Overall, the number of children in daycare increased by 20% over the past decade, from 3.29 million in 2014 to 3.94 million in 2024.
• The average weekly daycare hours rose from 35.3 in 2014 to 36.1 in 2024, while shorter care agreements (up to 25 hours) decreased by 8%.
• Despite a 46% rise in daycare staff over the same period, staffing shortages remain due to the prevalence of part-time work; 67% of daycare workers in 2024 worked less than 38.5 hours per week.
• Efforts to address staffing needs include record numbers of graduates in childcare-related fields in 2023 and increased recognition of foreign qualifications, particularly from Spain, Ukraine, and Turkey.

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