Baby Boomers in Germany: a secondary data analysis of demographics, regional disparities, healthcare utilization, and mortality

Abstract

Background: The demographic shift driven by the aging Baby Boomer cohort represents a substantial burden for our healthcare system. The aim of this study is to analyze the basic demographic characteristics, regional disparities, healthcare utilization, and the causes of death of the German Baby Boomer generation. Methods: The German Baby Boomer generation, defined as those born between 1955 and 1969 was analysed. Information on population statistics, hospital statistics, and causes of death statistics was obtained from the German Federal Statistical Office. Global and local spatial autocorrelation were analysed using global Moran’s I and Getis-Ord-Gi* statistics. Results: At the end of the Baby Boomers’ birth period, the registered resident population in Germany born between 1955 and 1969 was 18.20 million. Most Baby Boomers live in cities, metropolitan areas or in North Rhine-Westphalia, eastern Germany, and Baden-Württemberg. The relative share of the population clearly shows a statistically significant unequal distribution, specifically an urban-rural divide and an east-west divide: Baby Boomers are particularly well represented in eastern Germany and in rural regions of western Germany. Between 2010 and 2024, the proportion of Baby Boomers among inpatient hospital treatments increased markedly, from 16% to 28% in men and from 15% to 21% in women. In 2024, circulatory, musculoskeletal, and neoplastic diseases were the most common primary diagnoses. Between 1984 and 2024, deaths among Baby Boomers rose substantially from 1.6% to 16% of all deaths. This increase was accompanied by a shift from predominantly external causes of death to neoplasms and cardiovascular diseases, while mortality from infectious diseases, largely driven by HIV in the 1990s, declined markedly by 2024. Conclusions: Regarding the Baby Boomer cohort, a disproportionately high demand for healthcare services and social resources may be expected. Our findings highlight the need for regionally tailored, gender sensitive and migration aware planning of healthcare resources. These challenges must be carefully addressed in future health policy planning, with particular attention to the urban-rural disparities.

Publication
BMC Public Health 26, 1228 (2026)

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