Magdeburg/Berlin (dpa/sa) - According to a report by the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband, Saxony-Anhalt is one of the federal states with a particularly high proportion of low-income people. While the poverty risk rate reached a new high of 16.6 percent nationwide in 2021, it was 19.5 in Saxony-Anhalt, as the association announced at the presentation of the "Poverty Report 2022" on Wednesday in Berlin. Only in Berlin (19.6 percent) and Bremen (28.0 percent) was it higher. In contrast, Bavaria (12.6), Baden-Württemberg (13.9), Brandenburg (14.5) and Schleswig-Holstein (15.0 percent) are well below the average.
The report is based on figures from the Federal Statistical Office. In wealthy countries like Germany, poverty is not defined in terms of direct hardship such as hunger or homelessness. The focus is rather on the question of whether the household income is sufficient for social participation. The at-risk-of-poverty rate indicates the proportion of the population that has to get by on less than 60 percent of the median income.
From the point of view of the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband, social inequality has increased significantly as a result of the corona pandemic. In view of the currently high inflation rate, the association expects the situation to deteriorate further and is calling on the federal government to put in place a targeted relief package for low-income households.
