, with a poverty rate of 11.6 percent. Furthermore, the number of
has sharply increased over the past decade. In 2011, around 13 percent of pensioners were in danger of living in poverty, but by 2022, this figure had risen to almost 17.5 percent. This development is a reflection of inflation and shows that people who are relying on savings and their pensions are especially at risk of being unable to cope with the cost of living.
Rate of poverty in Germany
Over 16.7 percent of people in Germany were
at risk of living in poverty in 2022. The EU convention has stated that, having an equivalized income of less than 60 percent of the median equivalized income of the population (in private households) represents the threshold for poverty risk in the population. The equivalized income is calculated based on the net income of each household and is a needs-weighted per capita income per household member. This means the earnings of households of different sizes can be easily compared. In terms of
earnings, this means that someone living in a single-person household would have to earn more than 1,189 euros per month in order to be above the poverty threshold.
Social security in Germany
The social security benefits that people without work in Germany receive are called Arbeitslosengeld II or, as it is colloquially known, Hartz IV. Arbeitslosengeld is money people who are unemployed receive from the government. From 2023, however, Arbeitslosengeld or Hartz IV will be replaced with citizens allowance, or as it is known in Germany, Bürgergeld. The main difference between the two laws will be that whilst the former was based on the development of wages in Germany, Bürgergeld will be calculated according to the rate of inflation. This was reflected in the
increase in citizens' allowance from January 2023, when it rose from 449 euros per month to 502. It saw another increase in January 2024, when it went up to 563 euros. All employable people aged 15 to between 65 and 67 are eligible to the new benefits if they are unable to find a job and if their assets fall below the threshold level. The most recent figures show that around
3.9 million people in Germany were claiming citizens' allowance.
This text provides general information. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ assumes no
liability for the information given being complete or correct.
Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date
data than referenced in the text.
