Wealth distribution: Where does Germany stand in international comparison?

Wealth distribution: Where does Germany stand in international comparison?

The Deutsche Bundesbank carries out a study on the assets of citizens in Germany every three years. This survey serves to gain insight into the financial situation of households. Due to the effects of the corona pandemic, the last study was only carried out in 2021, although the majority of respondents had already taken part in the previous survey. Comparisons with the data from 2017 reveal interesting developments regarding financial circumstances in Germany.

According to the study, the average wealth of households increased significantly from 2017 to 2021. This is reflected both in the average wealth, which increased from 232,900 euros to 315,500 euros, and in the median wealth, which increased from 70,800 euros to 106,600 euros. The median wealth, which indicates the value that lies exactly in the middle of all determined wealth, provides a meaningful representation of the distribution of wealth.

The wealth stratification in Germany makes it possible to determine which wealth class your own assets belong to based on the net wealth of households. By breaking down net assets in ascending order, different layers can be identified, ranging from the lower to the upper wealth tiers. The asset limits can be used to determine the percentage range in which household assets are located.

The study also shows that the amount of household assets depends heavily on the number of people in the household. A single-person household has a median wealth of 40,800 euros, while for two-person households it is already 169,200 euros. These differences show how diverse financial circumstances can be in Germany and how they are influenced by various factors.