Focusing on Families. Understanding Life Situations. Shaping the Future.

With this new family report, the state government is presenting, for the first time since 2015, a detailed scientific assessment of the living conditions of families in North Rhine-Westphalia. 

The German Youth Institute (DJI) prepared the report on behalf of the Ministry for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Refugees, and Integration. It examines key aspects of family life in the state and addresses topics ranging from family diversity and education to paid work and caregiving, as well as poverty, housing, participation, health, and coping with multiple crises.

The Family Report paints a nuanced picture: Most families rate their situation as good. At the same time, families feel burdened by crises, economic uncertainty, the risk of poverty, and unequal opportunities for participation. Balancing family and work remains a key challenge. Reliable child care is an important source of support in this regard. The Family Report shows that a large majority of the parents surveyed are satisfied with the quality of care.

It is still primarily women who cut back on their work to care for their children. Although the number of hours worked by men has also fallen slightly to an average of 39 hours per week, At the same time, the number of hours mothers work has recently increased slightly. It now averages 27 hours per week. However, mothers’ work hours remain significantly lower than those of fathers.

Prof. Dr. Susanne Kuger, Director of Research at the DJI, adds, based on the report’s recommendations: “The analyses show that families play a key role in their children’s healthy development—in part through a positive family environment. This can also serve as a protective factor during difficult times. Especially in times of diverse societal crises, low-threshold services for family education, family counseling, and health promotion can strengthen family resources and support families in coping with stress.”

North Rhine-Westphalia is home to just over 2.5 million families, including nearly 1.8 million families with at least one child under the age of 18. About half of the population lives in a family. Family life is more diverse than ever. In addition to married couples with children, single-parent families, unmarried couples living together, blended families, and LGBTQ+ families are an integral part of social reality. In 2022, nearly one in two families with children under the age of 18 in North Rhine-Westphalia (49 percent) had an immigrant background.