"Western Germany is more conservative than such neighbours as Scandinavia and France in its attitudes to babies, women and work. (Formerly communist eastern Germany is more progressive.) Only 24% of German toddlers were in crèches in 2011, compared with half in the Netherlands and three-quarters in Denmark, according to Eric Seils at the Hans-Böckler Foundation, a think-tank linked to trade unions. A shortage of child care is one reason why women in Germany are more likely than their neighbours to stay out of the labour market. It may also explain why they have fewer children (1.36 per woman on average)." (Quoted from article)