Hesse poverty rate climbs to 17.3% in 2025, affecting nearly one million people

The 2025 poverty report for the German state of Hesse shows the share of residents living in poverty or at risk of poverty rose to 17.3%, up from 15.5% the previous year and above the national average of 16.1%. The increase means roughly one million people in Hesse are now considered poor or severely at‑risk, with older adults, women, families with children and especially single‑parent households hardest hit.

Regional differences are pronounced: the city of Kassel registers the highest poverty rate at 19.2%, followed by Gießen at 18.4% and Darmstadt at 16.4%. Under EU definitions, a single person is deemed at risk if income falls below 60 % of the median net income – €1,445 per month in 2025 – with higher thresholds for couples and families.

Representatives of the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband criticised current social‑policy discussions as out of touch with reality and called for concrete measures such as free meals in kindergartens and schools, full‑day care for all first‑graders, and stronger actions against rising rents.