Official data released today, Wednesday, reveals that more than one in five Germans were at risk of poverty or social exclusion last year, highlighting the difficulties faced by the largest economy in Europe. The Federal Statistical Office reported that this includes 17.7 million people in 2023, or 21.2 percent of the total population.
Although these figures have not changed significantly compared to 2022, they indicate an important backdrop to the political situation in Germany as the far-right Alternative for Germany Party competes for first place in the upcoming elections in the relatively poorer eastern regions in September.
The commitment to increase defense spending in response to the war in Ukraine has prompted Chancellor Olaf Scholz's unstable coalition to seek budget cuts, while families are grappling with sharply rising inflation that has begun to decline.
German data is based on the European Union's definition of poverty, which includes individuals meeting at least one of the following three criteria: at risk of poverty, suffering from severe material and social deprivation, or having a significantly low employment rate within the household. The percentage of Germans at risk of poverty stood at 14.3 percent in 2023, a slight improvement from the 14.8 percent recorded in 2022.
