BERLIN: Germany continued to buck the global trend for falling birth rates during the COVID-19 pandemic, reporting a 10 per cent jump in March to the highest figure since 1998, the Federal Statistical Office said on Tuesday (Jun 15).

Germany had already reported a 6 per cent rise in births in February. The number of births in March came in at 65,903, about 5,900 more than a year ago and the first time the 65,000 figure was exceeded since 1998, the Statistical Office said.