Every fifth German citizen barely makes ends meet
According to statistics, the number of working people living below or at the poverty line is constantly growing. Back in 2008, this figure was 2.5 million people, and five years later it increased by 25% – to 3.1 million! Recall that in the Federal Republic, those whose total income does not exceed 60% of the average salary in the country are considered poor. In 2013, it amounted to 979 euros per person.
German statisticians show specific examples of where poor residents of the country try to save on their expenses. It turns out that 417,000 people are forced to give up normal heating in their homes and apartments in winter: they simply cannot afford the cost of heat. 538,000 people cannot afford normal nutrition: they can pay for full meals only every other day.
Understandably, many poor residents of Germany are not in a position to go on vacation: half of them do not even think about at least a week's rest once a year. 379,000 people who had a job in 2013 could not pay their rent on time. Finally, in the leading automotive power in Europe, almost 600,000 working people could not afford to buy a car and pay for its maintenance.
For the president of the Social Association of Germany VdK, Ulrike Mascher, these figures sound alarming. "Politicians urgently need to think about the fact that the number of working people who barely make ends meet is steadily growing," the head of the Association is outraged. According to Mascher, it is necessary to urgently increase the state subsidy for housing rent (Wohngeld), as today's rate is clearly insufficient.
Meanwhile, according to the Federal Statistical Office, the poverty level in the country is actually even higher. It is believed that the incomes of 16.2 million people in Germany hover at the "social" level, meaning about 20.3% of the total population, or every fifth resident of the country.