24.5% of Minors in Germany Rely on Government Benefits

Around a quarter of minors in Germany live in households that rely partially or entirely on social assistance, according to data from the Federal Employment Agency reported by Die Welt.

The report states that a total of 3.42 million children and adolescents receive some form of social benefits. With 13.98 million minors living in Germany at the end of 2024, this means 24.5% of under-18s are receiving financial support.

As of June 2025, among the 1.8 million minors receiving civil benefits, 854,000 were non-German citizens.

Earlier, Bild reported that Germany’s unemployment benefits spending increased by €240 million in the first half of 2025 compared with the previous six months, reaching €23.55 billion. The government’s current reforms of the unemployment assistance system, known as Bürgergeld, are expected to save only around €86 million next year, according to calculations cited by the newspaper.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently announced that the governing coalition has agreed to tighten rules for recipients of basic social assistance.

Benefits will now depend primarily on the recipient’s willingness to return to work. Under the new regulations, failure to attend appointments at the employment center or refusal to work may result in significant reductions in benefits, up to complete suspension.

In Germany, healthy individuals with low or no income are entitled to basic social assistance, currently set at €563 per month per person.