Number of poor in Germany increased by 1 million during the COVID-19 pandemic
It was reported that the number of poor people in Germany reached 14.2 million in 2022, an increase of approximately 1 million compared to the period before the COVID-19 pandemic.
AA
In the "Poverty Report" released by Ulrich Schneider, head of the aid organization Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband, it was stated that while 16.6 percent of the population lived in poverty in 2021, this rate rose to 16.8 percent in 2022.
The report, which emphasized that poverty in Germany continues to remain at a "high level," stated that in the country with a population of approximately 84.4 million, the number of poor people increased by about 100 thousand compared to 2021, reaching 14.2 million in 2022.
REPORT PUBLISHED
The report noted that the poverty rate has been rising continuously since 2006, stating: "In this wealthy country, 14.2 million people are considered poor. In 2022, nearly one million more people were affected by poverty compared to before the pandemic, energy, and price crisis in 2019, and 2.7 million more compared to 2006."
The report also shared information that the poverty rate among children and young people reached a record level of 21.8 percent, noting that this rate was determined to be 43.2 percent for single parents raising their children alone.
The report, which also called on the German federal government to adopt a decisive poverty policy, proposed increasing the minimum hourly wage to 15 euros, better pension income, the expansion of childcare, and a basic child security system that provides protection against poverty to reduce poverty in the country.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN STATES
Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband President Schneider stated that the poverty rate among children and young people reached a "sad record" of 21.8 percent, adding: "More than one-fifth of the child population in the country is affected by poverty. Differences in poverty rates are also observed between states. While one in eight people in Bavaria is affected by poverty, this rate is one in five in Saxony-Anhalt, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Hamburg."
Schneider also announced that there is no sign that the trend in poverty will reverse in the 2023 figures.
In the aid organization's report, a single household without children is considered to be at the poverty line if it has a disposable income of less than 1,186 euros per month, while single parents with a child under 14 are considered poor if their income is below 1,542 euros per month.