A concerning new analysis reveals that one in four minors in Germany relies on state social welfare, raising serious questions about the long-term economic prospects of a significant portion of the nation’s youth and sparking debate about the adequacy of current policies. Data compiled from various ministries and the Federal Employment Agency (BA), obtained by “Welt am Sonntag”, paints a stark picture of increasing dependency on government assistance.
Approximately 25% of minors are growing up in households that depend, at least partially, on benefits such as unemployment assistance (Bürgergeld), other forms of social aid, or child supplements. As of mid-year, approximately 1.81 million children and adolescents under 18 were receiving Bürgergeld – the basic security benefit outlined in the Social Code II – while roughly 1.3 million minors received child supplements, intended for families earning too little to secure their children’s basic needs but exceeding the income threshold for Bürgergeld eligibility.
Economist Bernd Raffelhüschen has voiced serious reservations about this trend, warning that “when a high proportion of children grow up with the experience of depending on social benefits, it leads to considerable subsequent problems”. Studies consistently suggest a correlation between growing up in welfare-dependent households and an elevated risk of future economic struggles for young people.
The scale of the issue is compounded by immigration patterns. According to BA data, as of June 2025, approximately 854,000 of the 1.81 million minors receiving Bürgergeld were not German citizens, highlighting the challenges faced by immigrant families in integrating into the German labor market. While children holding multiple citizenships are counted as German for statistical purposes, the prevalence of non-German citizens within this dependent population underscores the need for a more nuanced examination of integration policies and support systems designed to facilitate sustainable livelihoods for families and break the cycle of welfare dependency. The data is fueling political discussion regarding the long-term effects on social mobility and calls for a proactive reevaluation of existing support structures alongside a focus on earlier labor market entry for recent immigrants.