According to data from the EU statistics agency Eurostat, 22.6 percent of people in Germany do not have money for even a one-week vacation a year. The share is highest among single people with children: 43.2 percent. But even among families with two adults and three or more children (31.3 percent), an above-average number cannot afford a week’s vacation.
Sahra Wagenknecht, member of the Bundestag, asked the Federal Statistical Office for the figures. The share of the population for whom a one-week holiday is too expensive grew by 0.4 percentage points between 2022 and 2023. In general, singles (30.4 percent) are more likely than couples (16.8 percent) to have insufficient money for a break, the figures show.
“Embarrassing development”
These values have also increased slightly. Overall, this also applies to households without children who cannot afford a holiday trip: the share grew from 21.1 to 22.0 percent. Among households with children, the share fell slightly from 23.7 to 23.5 percent, but was still above average.
The development is shameful, according to Wagenknecht. “Almost one in four people cannot recover for even a week.” The chairman of the new Alliance Party Sahra Wagenknecht saw this as a “key figure for the demise of our country under the traffic lights”.
U-turn required
The federal government has made millions of citizens poorer. “We need a turnaround in economic and social policy in Germany,” Wagenknecht demanded.
Eurostat data show that the share of the population that does not have enough money for a one-week holiday has fluctuated around a fifth in recent years. In 2020 it was 22.4 percent, in 2021 it was 19.9 percent, the following year 22.2 and last year 22.6 percent.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
