More and more pensioners in Germany cannot live on their benefits. In 2024, almost 740 thousand people were forced to receive basic social assistance by age — this is a record figure. At the same time, 19.6% of citizens over the age of 65 are at risk of poverty. As reported by Finance.ua, Ausnews writes about this with reference to Statista data. The PromPolitInform portal informs.
What income level is considered poverty
According to official data from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, as of February 3, 2026, about 13.3 million people have an income below the poverty line — this is 16.1% of the population (compared to 15.5% in 2025).
The poverty risk group includes people with an income of less than 60% of the national average.
In 2026, the poverty line for single people is about 1,380 euros per month. At the same time, the average insurance pension in 2025 was approximately 1,100 euros: men received an average of 1,346 euros, women – 930-955 euros.
The DataPulse study shows that in only four European countries do pensions suffice to cover basic needs, while Germany belongs to the group of countries with a pension income deficit.
The situation is complicated by the fact that a significant part of the elderly do not use social support. About 10 million people (54% of pensioners) receive a pension of less than 1,100 euros. Approximately 60% of those entitled to assistance do not apply for it. Because of this, the state saves about 2 billion euros every year.
What is basic social assistance
Poverty is defined as relative and absolute. In the first case, we are talking about income below 60% of the average, which limits the possibility of full participation in social life.
Absolute poverty means the inability to provide for basic needs. In this case, the person is entitled to basic social assistance. Since January 2024, it has been 563 euros per month for single people.
How to receive social assistance
The German pension system provides for basic social assistance for people of retirement age or people with total disability.
To receive benefits, you must:
have reached retirement age or have confirmed total disability and be over 18 years old;
be permanently resident in Germany;
have an income below a set level.
As a rough guide, if your total income is less than 1,101 euros, you should check your eligibility for assistance.
The application is submitted to the local social welfare office. The decision is made by this body. Payments are assigned for 12 months, after which the application must be resubmitted.
As we previously reported, the number of initial asylum applications in Germany in 2025 was about 113,000, which is half the number in 2024.
Half of the Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Germany in the first six months of the Russian Federation’s full-scale war against Ukraine were able to find work within three and a half years of their stay in Germany. This is much faster than for migrants of previous waves. Despite their success in finding work, the employment rate of Ukrainians lags significantly behind the average in Germany, which in June 2025 was about 68%.
