Child poverty not tackled sufficiently in Germany: Report

By Erbil Basay

BERLIN (AA) – There is not enough struggle against child poverty in Germany, a report by the German Child Aid Agency (Kinderhilfswerk) said on Thursday.

The 2023 Child Report, released in the capital Berlin, pointed out that one out of every five children in Germany is affected by poverty.

Some 72% of adults surveyed in the report answered "quite little" or "very little" to a question whether Germany is doing enough to deal with poverty.

The reasons for child poverty in Germany were insufficient incomes, insufficient support for single parents, the lack of opportunities for children affected by poverty to receive a good education, and the lack of attention by politicians to this issue.

The report noted that 62% of adults approved of raising taxes to combat child poverty.

According to the report, the proportion of adults who said that the state and society are struggling with poverty "very little" compared to five years ago, has increased by 13%.

It was stated that especially one out of four people stated that very little has been done in this regard, and it was emphasized that this is worrying.

Lisa Paus, German minister for Family, Elderly, Women, and Youth, stated that the report shed light on one of the most important problems of society and that she agreed that the measures taken to combat child poverty are "insufficient."

Child poverty has been high in Germany for years as one out of every five children grows up in poverty, she said.

Emphasizing that poverty causes serious problems in society, she said the low income of parents contributes to child poverty.

The minister said "basic security law" should be enacted for improving the employment market and combating child poverty.

Stating that negotiations on the said law are continuing, Paus noted that the draft law will be ready by the end of August.