Alarming child poverty in Germany: 1 million suffer from a lack of opportunities!

Alarming child poverty in Germany: 1 million suffer from a lack of opportunities!

The alarming figures from UNICEF's current report on the situation of children in Germany affect everyone: over a million children in this country are growing up under conditions that severely impair their social participation and professional opportunities. How Deutschlandfunk reports, around 14 million children and young people up to the age of 18 now live in Germany, many of them in precarious conditions.

Family backgrounds contribute significantly to this worrying situation. A quarter of children cannot read well - five percent more than in 2018. This lays the foundation for further difficulties at school and beyond. According to UNICEF, 40 percent of young people struggle with physical and psychological problems, raising concerns about overall life satisfaction.

Dramatic living conditions

The report also provides hard facts about the living situation of affected families: 44 percent of children at risk of poverty live in overcrowded apartments, and at least 130,000 children have no permanent address and live in municipal accommodation. Resources are often so scarce that children cannot even find a quiet place to do homework or afford healthy meals. This urgently needs to change. UNICEF is calling for targeted investments to give disadvantaged children a better starting point so that they have the opportunities they need for their future.

Another point is the alarming number of over 62,000 children who leave school every year without a qualification. Many of these young people are heading for a life without prospects, which is worrying for society as a whole. The chairman of UNICEF Germany, Waldersee, sums it up: “Too little is being done for children, which endangers the future of Germany.”

Comparison in an international context

In an international comparison, Germany performs rather poorly: the situation of children is much better in countries such as Slovenia, Portugal and Finland. Child poverty in this country has stagnated at around 15 percent for years. With around 1.9 million children dependent on citizens' money, the extent of poverty is clear. The survey results, which are based on evaluations by scientists at the German Youth Institute, show that less than half of 15-year-old girls can report high levels of family support.

So there are many questions: What can be done to change this situation? How can families be better supported? UNICEF suggests expanding programs to support disadvantaged children and developing targeted measures to reduce child poverty.

It remains to be hoped that these urgent appeals will be heard and concrete steps will finally be taken to sustainably improve the living conditions for our children. Because one thing is clear: children are the future and deserve a chance at a fulfilling life. The time to act is now.