Although Germany is one of the richest countries in the world, signs of increasing poverty are becoming increasingly visible across the country. Homeless people sleeping rough, mothers forgoing meals in order to feed their children, pensioners looking for discarded bottles to trade for the deposit.
According to the Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband, Germany’s umbrella organization for welfare organizations, 13.8 million Germans either live in poverty or are at risk of slipping below the poverty line. The German government also voices its concerns about the growing gap between rich and poor.
The term poverty in this context does not mean that millions of people in Germany are at risk of starving or freezing to death. Instead, it refers to relative poverty, which is measured by the average living conditions of the society in question.
Germany to pay December gas bills for households and businesses in new energy crisis plan
Europe’s largest economy must cut consumption by 20 per cent to avoid potential shortages, expert warns
Germany is to pay most of the nation’s December gas bills as part of an effort to shield citizens and the economy from the energy crisis fuelled by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Berlin has riled EU neighbours by allocating up to €200bn (£175.5bn) for a “defensive shield” to ease the strain, amid warnings in Berlin that Europe’s largest economy must reduce its gas consumption by 20 per cent to prevent a potential shortage this winter.
Pretty sweet social programs!
