3.7 Million Retirees in Germany Affected by Poverty or Social Exclusion - Germany’s old-age poverty crisis deepens as 3.7 million pensioners struggle in 2024
Old-age poverty in Germany has reached record levels, with 3.7 million pensioners affected by poverty or social exclusion in 2024. The number of struggling retirees jumped by 328,000—an increase of 9.6%—since 2022. Critics now warn that the crisis has become the country’s most pressing social issue.
Between 2022 and 2024, an extra 184,000 women and 144,000 men fell into old-age poverty. Women remain disproportionately affected, with 23.1% facing poverty or exclusion compared to 18.7% of men. A person is classified as at risk if their income falls below 60% of the national median or if they experience severe material deprivation.
The share of pensioners at risk rose from 19.8% in 2022 to 21.2% in 2024. Over the same period, the income gap between retirees and workers widened. In 2024, pensioners had an average net income of €26,723, while workers earned €37,243—a difference of €10,520, up from €8,551 in 2022. The number of pensioners relying on Grundsicherung (basic welfare) also climbed by 30% since 2021, reaching 755,300 by September 2024. Fabio De Masi, co-leader of the Federal Pensioners’ Association (BSW), called old-age poverty 'Germany’s biggest social tinderbox.' He criticised policymakers for focusing on austerity measures that target older people, noting that Germany’s pension level sits roughly ten percentage points below the EU average. In response, the government passed the Rentenpaket 2025 on 5 December 2025. The reforms secure the pension level at 48% until 2031 and introduce Mütterrente III, which improves benefits for mothers. Additional proposals include expanding the contribution base to civil servants, the self-employed, and politicians, as well as labour market policies aimed at increasing employment among older workers, women, disabled individuals, and migrants.
The latest figures show no sign of improvement in pensioner poverty under the previous SPD-Greens-FDP coalition. With the income gap growing and welfare dependency rising, the newly approved reforms aim to stabilise pensions and reduce exclusion. Whether these measures will reverse the trend remains to be seen.
