Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Germany

Germany: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income was 12.5% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
12.5%
Change on year
up 7.8%
World rank
53rd
of 130 countries
All-time high
12.5%
in 2022
All-time low
6.5%
in 1993
Years of data
32
1991–2022

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Germany, 1991–2022

02.557.51012.51991200620221991: 7.21992: 71993: 6.51994: 9.31995: 91996: 7.51997: 7.91998: 7.91999: 7.82000: 7.82001: 8.12002: 7.92003: 8.22004: 8.52005: 8.72006: 8.62007: 8.22008: 8.62009: 9.22010: 8.82011: 8.52012: 9.72013: 9.52014: 10.62015: 10.52016: 10.72017: 10.62018: 10.62019: 112020: 10.92021: 11.62022: 12.5

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

The most recent figure for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Germany is 12.5%, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 32 years on record.

The figure is up 7.8% on the previous year and up 28.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Germany peaked at 12.5% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 6.5%, in 1993.

That places Germany 53rd out of 130 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 32 years of available data.

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Germany, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%) in Germany, 1991 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1991 7.2%
1992 7.0% -2.8%
1993 6.5% -7.1%
1994 9.3% +43.1%
1995 9.0% -3.2%
1996 7.5% -16.7%
1997 7.9% +5.3%
1998 7.9% +0.0%
1999 7.8% -1.3%
2000 7.8% +0.0%
2001 8.1% +3.8%
2002 7.9% -2.5%
2003 8.2% +3.8%
2004 8.5% +3.7%
2005 8.7% +2.4%
2006 8.6% -1.1%
2007 8.2% -4.7%
2008 8.6% +4.9%
2009 9.2% +7.0%
2010 8.8% -4.3%
2011 8.5% -3.4%
2012 9.7% +14.1%
2013 9.5% -2.1%
2014 10.6% +11.6%
2015 10.5% -0.9%
2016 10.7% +1.9%
2017 10.6% -0.9%
2018 10.6% +0.0%
2019 11.0% +3.8%
2020 10.9% -0.9%
2021 11.6% +6.4%
2022 12.5% +7.8%

Germany compared with similar countries

  • Germany's 12.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 11.7%, 1.1× the median. (41 countries reporting)
  • Germany's 12.5% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.0%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Germany changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1994 +43.1% 6.5% 9.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 7.8% 6.5% 9.3% 9
2000s 8.4% 7.8% 9.2% 10
2010s 10.1% 8.5% 11.0% 10
2020s 11.7% 10.9% 12.5% 3

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 50 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 12.6% compare
  2. 50 Republic of Korea 12.6% compare
  3. 50 Korea 12.6% compare
  4. 54 Georgia 12.3% compare
  5. 54 Latvia 12.3% compare
  6. 54 Uzbekistan 12.3% compare

See the full ranking of 131 places →

More infrastructure data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Germany?
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Germany was 12.5% in 2022, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Germany?
The highest recorded value was 12.5% in 2022.
What is the lowest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 6.5% in 1993.
How does Germany rank for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
Germany ranks 53rd out of 130 countries with data for 2022.
Is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is up 28.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Germany data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Germany. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-people-living-below-50-percent-of-median-income-percent-2/germany/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
131 places, 2,510 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed