Living alone in Germany: poverty and loneliness on the rise!

Living alone in Germany: poverty and loneliness on the rise!

Deutschland - Around 17 million people in Germany live alone today. This corresponds to about 20.6 percent of the population and marks a remarkable increase compared to the 14 million lives in 2004. This trend is not only a number, but also reflects profound social changes. Sociologist Alexander Langenkamp explains that the increase in individual households has been observed since reunification throughout the country and in the old federal states. The reasons for this are complex: demographic change, social changes to individualization, the high level of professional mobility and the education expansion all contribute to the mostly, such as "https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/Allebende-100.html"> Tagesschau reports.

social causes and consequences

Especially the financial independence of women has a significant part in the fact that they can afford a life alone. However, it is not only the advantages to be considered: alone living people are particularly often threatened by poverty. About 29 percent of this group are considered to be at risk of poverty, which is alarming compared to the total population (15.5 percent). Especially among the older fellow citizens, over 65 years, more than one in three lives in a one -person household, and in humans over 85 years there is even more than 50 percent.

Fabian Steenken from the State Armuts Conference in Lower Saxony describes this situation as an expression of growing social inequality. This problem is not new in Germany. According to Destatis , the infringement rates of the alone have risen so much that 35.1 percent have now been threatened by poverty or social exclusion. In the age group of 30-year-olds and among them, even 35.9 percent often feel lonely. This is a widespread phenomenon: 26 percent of the people who live alone often state that it is only 16.3 percent among the total population.

comparison of the EU countries

Another interesting aspect is the comparison with other European countries. With regard to the proportion of people who live alone, Germany is 20.6 percent above the EU average of 16.2 percent. While countries such as Lithuania (27 percent), Finland (26 percent) and Denmark (24 percent) have even higher values, the lowest shares in Slovakia (3.5 percent), Ireland (8 percent) and Poland (9 percent) can be found.

In addition, a forecast shows that the proportion of one -person households in Germany could increase to over 45 percent by 2040. This is worrying, not only because it changes the social structures, but also because it could increase poverty problems. Böckler emphasizes that the scissors between poor and rich in Germany are increasingly apart. Social and economic inequality increases, which will also strongly influence the living conditions of people living alone.

The challenges that live alone are diverse. From financial uncertainty to loneliness, these aspects are not only individual fates, but rather a social phenomenon that requires solutions. The call for good social cohesion is louder than ever, and it is up to all of us to keep an eye on these developments and act accordingly.