New data released by the Federal Statistical Office indicates a widening wage gap between eastern and western Germany, 35 years after reunification The annual assessment for 2024, obtained by the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) parliamentary group, reveals that average gross annual salaries for full-time employees in eastern Germany are more than €13,000, or 21 percent, lower than those in the former West Germany
While average wages have increased nationally in absolute terms, the disparity between East and West has grown In 2023, full-time employees in western Germany earned an average gross salary of €60,798, compared to €48,023 in the east – a difference of €12,775 Preliminary figures for 2024 show the western average rising to €63,999 and the eastern average to €50,625, widening the gap to €13,375
Regional variations are also significant Full-time employees in Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia reported the lowest average earnings at €46,708 and €46,720 respectively, while those in Hesse and Hamburg earned the most, with averages of €62,915 and €62,517
Sahra Wagenknecht, leader of the BSW, commented that wages for average workers in Germany are generally too low, exacerbated by government-driven inflation She described the €13,374 wage difference for full-time employees in the East as “shameful” three decades after reunification
The BSW intends to prioritize addressing this 21 percent wage gap, particularly in eastern Germany The party advocates for higher wages combined with lower taxes and reduced social security contributions for low and middle-income earners