One in seven children in Germany at risk of poverty
Every seventh child in Germany is threatened by poverty. According to the Statistical Federal Office, there were approximately 2.1 million children and adolescents at risk of poverty in Germany in 2023. This corresponds to a poverty risk rate of 14 percent. Children from parents with a lower educational background are reportedly the most endangered.
According to federal statisticians, the poverty risk rate of those under 18 years old was 36.8 percent if their parents had no professional qualification and a lower educational background. The poverty risk rate for adolescents with parents having a medium educational background was 14.3 percent. If the parents had a higher educational background, such as a master's title or a completed study, the poverty risk rate for children and adolescents was 5.8 percent.
The poverty risk rate for minors was reportedly slightly lower than that of the general population, which was 14.4 percent. In 2022, the poverty risk rate for minors was 15 percent.
As the federal statisticians further explained, in 2023, approximately 23.9 percent of minors in Germany were at risk of both poverty and social exclusion. Germany was below the EU average of 24.8 percent. However, the percentage of children and adolescents at risk of poverty or social exclusion in more than half of all EU countries was lower than in Germany.
The least affected by poverty and exclusion were children and adolescents in Slovenia, with a rate of 10.7 percent. Following were Finland with 13.8 percent and the Netherlands with 14.3 percent. The highest percentages were in Romania, Spain, and Bulgaria - with 39, 34.5, and 33.9 percent, respectively. In total, there were approximately 19.9 million children and adolescents at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU in 2023.
Despite the poverty risk rate being slightly lower for minors in Germany compared to the general population, many still face this issue. Each family with a lack of education contributes significantly to this problem, as the poverty risk rate is significantly higher for children with parents who have no professional qualification or lower educational backgrounds. Regrettably, even in Germany, a child from such a family is still threatened by poverty.
