37 Percent Less Obstetric Clinics in Saxony - Saxony's maternity wards vanish, leaving rural mothers stranded

Maternity care in Saxony has shrunk dramatically since German reunification. Over a third of hospitals offering obstetric services have closed in the past three decades. The decline has left many women, especially in rural areas, with far fewer options for giving birth nearby.

In 1991, Saxony had 54 delivery rooms across its hospitals. By 2024, that number had dropped to just 34. The reduction in services mirrors a steep fall in available beds: obstetric and gynaecology wards now have 73% fewer beds than they did 33 years ago.

Fewer beds are also being used. Occupancy rates have fallen from 63.8% in 1991 to 53.8% in 2024. This drop is partly due to shorter hospital stays for new mothers after childbirth. The impact is most severe outside cities. Today, only about one in three women in rural and small-town Saxony can reach a maternity ward within 15 minutes. The overall number of births in the region has also declined by roughly a fifth since 1991.

The changes mean longer travel times for expectant mothers in many parts of Saxony. With fewer hospitals providing obstetric care, access to nearby delivery services has become significantly harder. The trend reflects broader shifts in healthcare use and population changes across the region.