DON’T MISS
IamExpat FairIamExpat Job BoardIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Expat Info
German news & articles
Poverty rate in Germany reaches new heights
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

Poverty rate in Germany reaches new heights

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:



Related Stories

Inflation, housing, recession: These are Germany's biggest fears in 2022Inflation, housing, recession: These are Germany's biggest fears in 2022
Three-quarters of Germans in favour of higher taxes for super-richThree-quarters of Germans in favour of higher taxes for super-rich
Card payments continue to grow in popularity in GermanyCard payments continue to grow in popularity in Germany
Racism remains widespread in Germany, new discrimination report concludesRacism remains widespread in Germany, new discrimination report concludes
Munich and Frankfurt ranked among most expensive cities for expats in EuropeMunich and Frankfurt ranked among most expensive cities for expats in Europe
Germany climbs back into top 10 in global financial secrecy rankingGermany climbs back into top 10 in global financial secrecy ranking
People have the highest incomes in these German regionsPeople have the highest incomes in these German regions
Germany pays some of the highest prices in Europe for petrol and dieselGermany pays some of the highest prices in Europe for petrol and diesel
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usImpressumSitemap
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat FairWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Jul 18, 2022
Abi Carter

Editor in chief at IamExpat Media

Abi studied German and History at the University of Manchester and has since lived in Berlin, Hamburg and Utrecht, working since 2017 as a writer, editor and content marketeer. Although she's happily taken on some German and Dutch quirks, she keeps a stash of Yorkshire Tea on hand, because nowhere does a brew quite like home.Read more

Poverty in Germany has reached record levels, according to a new report by the German Parity Welfare Association (Der Paritätische), which found that almost 14 million people in Germany now live in poverty, with children and pensioners more commonly impacted. 

16,6 percent of German population living in poverty in 2021

The poverty rate in Germany rose to a record high of 16,6 percent in 2021, the welfare association announced. “Accordingly, 13,8 million people in this country must currently be counted among the poor, 600.000 more than before the pandemic,” the association said. They explained that, due to the high inflation rate, the situation will likely deteriorate further in the coming year.

A household is defined as being in poverty if its collective income - including wages, pensions, unemployment benefits, housing benefits and child benefits - is less than 60 percent of the median income in Germany. 

Poverty on the rise in aftermath of pandemic and amid high inflation

In 2020, Der Paritätische calculated the poverty rate at 16,1 percent and the number of affected people at 13,4 million, showing that poverty has worsened over the last 12 months. However, they did concede that the “various protective shields and emergency measures” put in place by the federal government and the federal states ensured that poverty “only increased relatively moderately despite the economic slump and the rapid increase in unemployment.”

In 2021, however, the economic impacts of the pandemic began to really show: the study results show that poverty increased unusually sharply among those in work. Self-employed workers were disproportionately affected, with the rate of poverty rising from 9 to 13,1 percent. The rate rose to 17,9 percent among pensioners and to 20,8 percent among children and young people.

The data also shows significant variations between the federal states. While states like Schleswig-Holstein, Brandenburg, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria did comparatively well, five states have above-average poverty rates: North Rhine-Westphalia, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin and Bremen.

Against a backdrop of rising inflation, Der Paritätische called on the government to provide more support to people struggling by increasing basic subsistence rates, as well as housing benefits and student loans. 

By Abi Carter