Money

German food banks struggle to cope with rising demand

The war in Ukraine and the rising cost of living has led to food banks in Germany almost reaching their limit. 

Living in Germany

Who is hardest hit financially by the pandemic in Germany?

The pandemic has affected everyone in Germany in many ways. Here's who is being hit hardest when it comes to economic difficulties.

Living in Germany 1

'Nearly three million' children in Germany live in poverty

A new study from the Bertelsmann Foundation showed that child poverty in Germany is a growing problem, especially in light of the coronavirus crisis.

Money

Explained: What are Germany's planned new pension reforms?

Germany's cabinet has agreed on pension reforms that will benefit about 1.3 million people. Here's what it all means.

Pensions 1

Why poverty among pensioners continues to rise in Germany

The number of seniors at risk of poverty has risen by one-third since 2010, new data from Germany’s Statistical Office has revealed.

Living in Germany

Explained: How new poverty ‘problem regions’ are emerging in Germany

Overall poverty is declining slightly in Germany, a new report has found. But there are deep divides and new ‘problem regions’ emerging.

Pensions

Half of all Germans 'worry about old-age poverty'

Germans are afraid of falling into poverty when they get older, a new survey has found.

poverty

Germany sees 'alarming' increase in number of food bank users

From the outside, Germany is viewed as a prosperous country with low unemployment. But new figures shed light on the increasing number of people turning to food banks.

Pensions

Old-age poverty in Germany ‘set to rise significantly’

More than every fifth pensioner in Germany will face financial insecurity in the next 20 years, according to a new study.

Green

Call to prevent power cuts in poorest German households

More than 340,000 electricity customers across Germany have their power cut off each year for failing to pay bills. A new proposal from one political party aims to change this.

germany

Poverty rising in Germany's industrial Ruhr region: study

Statistics have revealed increases in poverty in many larger cities in west Germany, predominantly in the Ruhr region. Conversely, poverty is trending downward in the former east.

Economy

Study: Rising rents accelerating gap between rich and poor across Germany

A newly released study has confirmed what residents of German cities have known for some time: rents are rising - and the poorest are the most affected.

Immigration 1

The East-West divide is diminishing, but differences still remain

“Now what belongs together grows together” was the message of German reunification in 1989, but differences between East and West still persist today.

children

Kids likely to grow up affected by poverty if mums don't work, study finds

Kids in Deutschland are at higher risk of poverty if their mothers are unemployed, a study published on Wednesday has found.

Economy

'I haven't eaten all day': Growing up poor is a dead-end street in wealthy Germany

Chancellor Angela Merkel touted Germany as a country "in which we live well and happily" during her re-election campaign. But those words ring hollow to the one in five children living in poverty in Europe's top economy, with little prospect of climbing the social ladder.

welfare

Almost every seventh child in German is dependent on welfare funds

Nearly every seventh child in Germany required assistance from Hartz IV last year, says the newest report from the German Federal Employment Agency (BA). Only 5 years ago, the rate was one in every eight children.

Politics

‘No one in Germany would go hungry if food banks didn’t exist’

The outspoken Christian Democrat politician Jens Spahn told a newspaper on Saturday that Germany was a country without poverty thanks to its "Hartz IV" social security payments. Critics called his comments “cold-hearted and aloof.”

Politics

How a food charity has sparked a furious debate about refugees, poverty and racism

Last week a food charity in Essen took the controversial decision to stop taking any new foreign clients. The move, said to be aimed at helping German Omas, has unleashed a heated debate about racism and poverty.

Money

In Germany, the risk of poverty rises with every child a couple has: study

A new study by the Bertelsmann Foundation shows that families are more likely to be at risk of poverty the bigger they are.

Education

Disadvantaged kids make big leap in educational achievements, study finds

At the start of the millennium, Germany was lambasted by the OECD for the inequality that was prevalent in its schools. But a new study by the organization has found sizeable improvements in German schools.

Berlin

‘Bureaucracy makes you feel like a lowly beggar’: surviving on the streets of Berlin

Rising rents and a lack of social housing are contributing to homelessness in the German capital. Adapting means disappearing 'like a little grey mouse' in the city's crevices.

housing

Number of people living on German streets has jumped by a third: report

According to an estimate published by the Federal Association for Assistance for the Homeless on Wednesday, the number of people living on Germany’s streets has risen by 13,000 in two years.

Economy

Hundreds of thousands more children at risk of poverty, official report shows

The Familienreport for 2017 shows an increase in child poverty rates to 2.8 million, with those from migrant backgrounds particularly affected.

inequality

German social order at risk due to gulf between rich and poor: report

A growing gap between rich and poor in Germany could sap social cohesion in Europe's largest economy and most populous country, a government report warned on Thursday.

poverty

German poverty 'hits record high' despite low unemployment

A new report claims that more Germans are poor now than at any time since reunification. But some experts have dismissed the numbers as "not serious and stupid".