Germany's Poverty Crisis: Every Sixth Person Struggles, SPD Calls for Wealthy to Fund Common Good
Germany grapples with rising poverty and social inequality. Every sixth person lives below the poverty line, with the issue increasingly entrenched among unemployed, single parents, children, migrants, and those with disabilities. The Paritätischer Gesamtverband and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) call for stronger participation of the super-rich in financing the common good and other measures to tackle these issues.
Poverty in Germany is a pressing concern. Almost every eighth household spends over 40% of its income on housing, highlighting the role of housing in social inequality. Despite minimum wage increases, real wages have fallen in crisis years, and even employment does not guarantee protection against poverty, with one in six jobs being low-wage. The wealth gap is stark: the richest tenth owns over 54% of the net wealth, while the lower half has only 3%. This inequality threatens democratic cohesion and political participation, with trust in institutions waning among those affected by poverty.
The SPD's report proposes solutions, including strengthening the super-rich's role in financing the common good, expanding social insurances, fairer taxation, a poverty-proof basic security, and generous investments in social housing, education, inclusion, and health.
Germany's poverty and inequality crisis demands urgent action. The SPD's proposals, echoed by the Paritätischer Gesamtverband, aim to address these issues and ensure a fairer society. With every sixth person living in poverty, the need for change is clear and pressing.
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