According to the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), about 13.3 million people in Germany last year earned below the poverty risk threshold, representing 16.1 % of the population – a rise from 15.5 % the year before.
The European Union defines a person as at risk of poverty if their disposable income is less than 60 % of the median equivalised income of the overall population. In 2025 this threshold was €1 446 per month net for a single individual (up from €1 381 in 2024) and €3 036 per month for a household of two adults with two children under 14 (up from €2 900 in 2024).
When the data are split by household type, two groups stand out. Thirty‑nine per cent of single‑person households and 28.7 % of single‑parent households earned below the poverty line. Looking at employment status, the risk is highest among the unemployed (64.9 %), followed by other non‑employed persons (33.8 %) and retirees (19.1 %).
Beyond income, the extent to which people can participate in society also paints a fuller picture of social vulnerability. In 2025, around 17.6 million Germans – 21.2 % of the population – were threatened by poverty or social exclusion, a figure essentially unchanged from the 21.1 % recorded the previous year. Under EU rules, a person falls into this category if at least one of three conditions applies: income below the poverty line, substantial material and social deprivation of the household, or very low employment participation within the household.
