
You vs. The Average
📊 You vs. Average: Money, Income and Wealth in Germany
In this video, Markus from Finanzf shows where you stand compared to the average German – from income and spending to wealth and pension.
💰 Income- Average salary (full-time, 2025): €6,441 gross/month
- Median income: €5,466 – earning more means you belong to the richer half
- Income distribution:
- Bottom 10%: up to €33,828
- Bottom third: approx. €44,000
- Top 20%: from about €80,000
- Top 10%: from about €100,000
- Top 1%: from €219,110
- 76% live mainly from employment (men 83%, women 69%)
- 8% from relatives (mostly women: 13%)
- 6% from unemployment benefits
- 5% from pension
- 3% from social welfare/sick pay
- 1% from parental allowance (almost only women)
- 1% from own assets
- Threshold: 60% of median net household income
- Single person: below €1,446 net/month
- 2 adults + 2 children (<14): below €3,036
- 16.1% of the population at risk of poverty (2025)
- Highest rates: unemployed (64.9%), singles (30.9%), single parents (28.7%), retirees (19.1%)
- Housing: 38% (2018: 34%) – for low-income households (<€1,300 net) even 46%
- Food: 14%
- Transport: 12%
- Leisure/Sports/Culture: 9%
- Restaurants/Hotels: 7%
- Information/Communication: 5%
- Clothing/Shoes: 4%
- Homeownership rate: 47% (EU's lowest; EU average 68%)
- Leader: Romania (94%)
- In Germany: Saarland 60%, Berlin only 16%
- Savings rate: 10.3% (2024: 11.2%; EU average 8%)
- Gross savings rate: 20% (EU 14.6%)
- Emergency fund: 32% of households cannot cover an unexpected €1,300 expense
- Over-indebtedness: 8.16% of adults
- Causes: 23% for single parents (separation/divorce/death), 18% illness/accident, 17% unemployment
- Median: €10,300 per household (Eurozone: €14,000)
- Bottom 10%: up to €800
- Bottom 40%: up to €50,000
- Top 20%: from €471,000
- Top 10%: from €775,000
- Why little wealth despite saving?
- 65% of financial assets are low-risk (cash, accounts, guaranteed insurance)
- Only 23% in capital markets (14% funds, 7% stocks, 2% bonds)
- Real return (inflation-adjusted): only 0.6% p.a. – only the richest 10% achieve positive real returns
- Positive: 2025, 14 million people owned stocks/funds/ETFs (record) – especially younger people (14–39) and those in Bavaria
- Median gross pension: between €900 and €1,200 – 50% receive even less
- Large gender gap
Conclusion: Germans save a lot but with low returns – and the state pension is often insufficient. This comparison helps to realistically assess your own financial position.





