Critics slam insufficient levels of poverty reduction among researchers
The Federal Statistical Office's switch to a single calculation method (EU-SILC/MZ-SILC) has revealed a national poverty rate of 15.5 percent in 2023, a decrease from the 16.6 percent rate reported by the now-deleted MZ-Kern method. This shift has sparked controversy among poverty researchers, who believe that the new method may be underestimating the actual extent of poverty in Germany.
Thirty prominent researchers, including Ulrich Schneider and Christoph Butterwegge, have accused the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) of using flawed methodology and data that underestimate the real income situation and living conditions of many people facing poverty in Germany. They argue that the official statistics do not adequately capture these factors, citing issues such as outdated income thresholds, the exclusion of vulnerable groups, and a lack of consideration for regional disparities and household composition.
The researchers claim that the Federal Statistical Office's actions border on bureaucratic arbitrariness, narrowing the academic discussion and public reception. They have expressed concern over the removal of MZ-Kern, a calculation method that has been retroactively deleted from the Federal Statistical Office's website, not just for the current year.
Ulrich Schneider, a prominent poverty researcher, has suggested the possibility of manipulation or interest-driven action in the removal of MZ-Kern. The signatories of the protest letter consider the non-publication of the results of the second calculation method and their retroactive deletion as an unacceptable interference with scientific freedom.
The Federal Statistical Office justifies the switch to a single calculation method with better comparability across Europe. However, the new method asks income types individually and in detail, preventing income subject to disclosure from being unintentionally overlooked.
The signatories call on Brand, the head of the Federal Statistical Office, to reverse the decision, expressing their belief that the removal of MZ-Kern is causing concern among poverty researchers, who believe it means one million fewer people are being counted.
Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding the Federal Statistical Office's handling of poverty data has spilled over into politics, with the SPD and Greens attacking Grimm for cutting a plan related to the issue. The exact nature of the plan that was being cut was not specified in the available information.
This protest highlights concerns that official poverty measurements in Germany may be too optimistic, thereby minimizing the social urgency and potentially affecting policy responses. It serves as a call for transparency and accuracy in the reporting of poverty rates in Germany.
- The debate over the Federal Statistical Office's (Destatis) methodology in calculating poverty rates has extended into the realm of politics, with the SPD and Greens criticizing a plan related to the issue, suggesting a potential impact on policy responses.
- The controversy surrounding the switch in calculation methods by the Federal Statistical Office has raised concerns among poverty researchers, who believe that the removal of MZ-Kern might lead to vocational training programs and community policies being underestimated or overlooked, as it means one million fewer people are being counted.
