Poverty, poverty risk and anti-poverty policy in Germany

This paper analyses income poverty in Germany from 1962 to 1995. Income poverty, as measured by three different poverty lines as well as by an institutional social assistance line, has decreased during the first decade and steadily increased after 1974. Since 1990, after the German unification, income poverty also increased considerably in the ,,New Lander''. The increase of poverty is correlated with a stepwise increase in unemployment, but also with changes in family composition and with cuts and restrictions of the social security system. Poverty rates of children went up tremendously, while poverty rates of the elderly decreased. Men and women are hit by poverty to almost the same extent. Foreigners show a much higher poverty rate than Germans. It seems probable that the tendency to increasing poverty will continue during the next decade.