A bit of context regarding the task facing Angela Merkel as she attempts to salvage Germany from the fringe. The numbers show the last 10 years were neither socio or economic.

From Medienkritik, the socio:

• There are more German couples without children than with children.
• Within Europe Germany is among the countries with the smallest share of households with children.
• One third of each age group will not have children. This is a worldwide uniquely low share.
• People's desire to have children is ever shrinking.
• Marriage is at a historical low in Germany. Those who are married will have an 38 percent chance of separation.
• 12 percent of newborn's parents don't have the German citizenship. In some larger cities, more than 40 percent of children and youths have a migration background. In 2010 migrants will present a 50 percent share of the under 40 age group in many cities.
• Germany's population size shrinks and the average age rises. In 2050 every third German will be older than 65, and the share of young people (up to 20 years of age) will decline to 16 percent (now at 21 percent).

From Eurostat, the economic headlines:

An uphill battle for Chancellor Merkel to say the least.