Rich and poor - The growing wealth gap in Germany | DW Documentary
Germany is one of the wealthiest countries in the world - but the gap between rich and poor continues to grow. What’s it like to live in Germany when you hardly have any money left for groceries at the end of the month? And what’s it like when you have so much money that you can barely spend it all? We tell the stories behind the bank statements - and ask why Germany is a rich country with poor people.
Elke, for example, lives off welfare. When she cooks, her priority is giving her daughter enough to eat. Elke eats the leftovers. Boris, a high-earning self-employed marketing coach, loves luxury cars and thinks being poor is a decision. And the middle-class Valdivieso family, homeowners with a comfortable income, have been worried about social decline since the energy crisis began - and feel let down by politicians. They’re not the only ones who feel like things in Germany are going downhill. What happens to a society when rich and poor keep drifting further and further apart?
One thing is sure: people are protesting. Under the hashtag “I’m affected by poverty”, resistance is growing on social media; Elke even speaks at a big demonstration in front of the Chancellery in Berlin. And there are some wealthy people who say they’d like to pay more taxes to close the wealth gap. What kind of political decisions is Germany facing?
#documentary #rich #poor #wealth #dwdocumentary
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As a immigrant from Iran in The Netherlands, I noticed something seriously wrong in EU. Here it is more expensive to be poor than rich! If you cannot take a mortgage you need to pay twice for rent, if cannot afford a car, you need to live close to a train station with higher rent. In poverty you need to pay higher interests because the lenders see you with a higher risk. Working in lower paid jobs means more health hazards and sickness. You buy second hand car, lower quality furniture and… which makes you pay more in the long run. You spend a good chunk of your time searching for help and subsidies which means less time for working and cooking at home. Living in poor cities means less opportunities. The list goes on, I believe the working class should pay less tax until they built up a safety net. The government can effectively tax the working class but not the rich.
I'm happily poor. I have exactly what I need. I have worked hard my whole life and got nowhere. But still, I would like a nice car and clothes but again, I'm happily poor and love life. Going fishing in the river near my home. Walking on the beach on a nice day. Being able to afford a slice of pizza. Abstaining from drugs & alcohol as a way out. I will never be remembered after I die for doing anything big or writing books etc. I'm just a common man adrift in a world of greed, politics, and criminals. I'm happily poor.
I’m absolutely touched by Dani’s story! Dani, you should be proud of yourself and keep on going! It all will come to places at some point. You are young and you’re going the right direction.
I hate it when people say that poverty is a choice and you just have to work more or have a 'bigger vision' (whatever that means). I got seriously ill when I was only 25 years old. Def did not see that coming. Took me years to recover and when I finally could work again, nobody wanted me because I had a gap in my resume. Sometimes things just suck, even if you work hard and are ambitious.
This seems to be a universal phenomenon. The gap between rich and poor is growing so vast in almost every country on earth.
The young man from Nigeria is illusional. Poverty is not a mindset- it is a reality and it is happening in the midst of ignorance and greed.
My heart goes out to the Syrian man he seems like such a gentle soul. I wish him and his family the best.
I'm German and the family portrayed as "middle class" here is maybe at the top end of "middle class" - I would even call them wealthy. In Germany, roughly 2/3 of the population rent their house or flat - so them being house owners already makes them richer than the average person in Germany....
My heart goes out to Daniyar and his family, losing a parent is never easy. Hang in there brother.
As an auslander in germany who works minimum wage. It is not hard to live here on low wages. Yes you are poor and yes luxuries are out of reach but it beats being poor in Ireland, England and Spain from experience. Personally i get the feeling that native Germans are not used to economic hardships or living without
As a Kenyan, I was offered 2700 initial salary in Munich, Germany last year and I was scared because the gross salary is 1800 in the most expensive city in Germany. But I could survive on it. I can't imagine how Elke survives with 1400 gross with a child 😭. My heart goes out to her. I know poverty, I have experienced it and I prefer being poor in Kenya than in Germany or any other European country 😢. I can't imagine how "unskilled" people survive in Germany.
having grown up in poverty in germany with a single mother: so much respect to you Elke.
The rich guy:
Watching the first 90 seconds and it sounds like the same problem worldwide.
I am in the USA: Living in a 24 foot trailer parked on a dirt lot, in the Arizona desert 78 years old, but in good health, living on my social security $1,500 a month.10 years ago that was good money. A 2 bed room apartment would be a castle to me. There is no safety net in the US, 22 million have no access to health care. The US is a third world country.
Some economists have projected that both the U.S. and parts of Europe could slip into a recession for a portion of 2023. A global recession, defined as a contraction in annual global per capita income, is more rare because China and emerging markets often grow faster than more developed economies. Essentially the world economy is considered to be in recession if economic growth falls behind population growth.
I am also a Nigerian immigrant living and working in France. I also had to work 2x as hard to get to where I am today. However, I still recognise that it isn't all on my own. From the support I received while at school as well as the infrastructure that allowed me to find online work to support myself, I didn't make that happen. That was the whole reason I had to leave my home country in the first place.
I was very moved by Daniyar’s story. He seems to be such a good person with great values and despite all of the hardships he has endured in his life, he still has the willingness to smile and go ahead in pursuit of his goals. Super proud of you Daniyar! 👏🏻 Soon all your efforts will result in success and a better life!
As ever
Imagine being so privileged, to be able to complain that u cant eat what u want every day.