German inflation pushes up poverty levels, putting pressure on the living conditions of vulnerable groups.

The annual report released by the German Equality and Welfare Association on April 29th showed that the high inflation faced by Germany in 2024 has further exacerbated social poverty, with an increase in the number of people living in poverty and continued worsening living conditions for certain groups. The report indicated that in 2024, the poverty rate in Germany increased to 15.5%, a rise of 1.1 percentage points from the previous year, equivalent to approximately 13 million people living below the poverty line nationwide. Single-parent families, young people, and elderly women were particularly affected. At the same time, there are significant differences in poverty levels among the various federal states in Germany. Bremen, Saxony-Anhalt, North Rhine-Westphalia, and other regions have significantly higher poverty rates than the national average. In Bremen, nearly a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line. According to the report, there are still over 5 million people in Germany who are in a state of "severe material deprivation," unable to afford necessities such as heating and basic clothing replacement.