Researchers said they have noticed a particularly sharp downward trend in eastern Germany. A new report estimates almost 80,000 fewer children were born in 2022 and 2023 than would have been expected.

The Ifo Institute for Economic Research said in a new report released Wednesday that Germany is seeing a sharp decline in birth rates, with federal states in the east of the country the most affected.

Researchers at the leading economic think tank cited a number of reasons behind the declining birth rate, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Additionally, high inflation has prompted “young families to put off having children for the time being,” said Ifo researcher Joachim Ragnitz.