Nearly 2 Million People with Higher Education at Risk of Poverty in Germany

In German society, the phenomenon of poverty among people with higher education is growing. Data from the Federal Statistical Office, revealed at the request of the BSW party, shows that in 2025, around 1.9 million people with high qualifications lived on the brink of poverty. This is an increase of 350,000, or 22%, compared to 2022. Since the 1960s, the German education system and the model of the social market economy were seen as a guarantee of stable social advancement. Higher education, especially in engineering and technical professions, traditionally represented a secure path to the middle class and prosperity. At the same time, the unemployment rate among people with higher education rose significantly, from 2.2% to 3.3%, representing a 50% increase. These statistics become particularly telling against the backdrop of the overall increase in the number of educated people in Germany. In 2025, there were 21.04 million, which is 1.6 million more than three years earlier. This suggests that the labor market is not creating a sufficient number of well-paid jobs for the growing number of university graduates. 1,9 mln — educated people live on the brink of poverty The leader of the BSW party, Sahra Wagenknecht, used this data to sharply criticize the economic policy of the governing coalition led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz. „Abstieg und Armut betreffen inzwischen alle Bildungsschichten. Friedrich Merz könnte zum Armutskanzler werden.” (Decline and poverty now affect all educational strata. Friedrich Merz could become the poverty chancellor.) — Sahra Wagenknecht In her view, the presented figures are proof of the government's policy failure and demonstrate that the problem of poverty is no longer the exclusive domain of people with low qualifications, having spread to all social strata. This data undermines the traditional belief that investment in education is the most effective strategy to secure oneself against poverty and social exclusion in Germany. Changes in the situation of educated people in Germany (2022 vs 2025): Number at risk of poverty: 1.55 mln → 1.9 mln; Unemployment rate in the group: 2.2% → 3.3%; Total number of people with higher education: 19.41 mln → 21.04 mln Analyzing the data in detail, a clear paradox emerges: while German society is becoming increasingly better educated, this does not automatically translate into an improvement in the material situation of a significant portion of graduates. At risk of poverty is defined as income below 60% of the national median income. The fact that such a large group of well-educated people finds itself in this zone indicates deeper structural problems in the labor market, including perhaps a skills mismatch with the needs of the economy, erosion of stable forms of employment, or insufficient wage growth in certain sectors. This data could have significant political and social consequences, influencing the debate about the future of the German economic model.