Germany is rich but its people are poor and fed up: Chris Bryant

In Germany, once a symbol of prosperity and stability, economic stagnation and social discord have taken root. A stark wealth divide, with the top 10% controlling over half the wealth, fuels discontent. Amid economic uncertainty, fringe ideologies gain traction, evident in recent protests and political disarray. As polarisation intensifies, the nation grapples with challenges from infrastructure woes to fiscal missteps. Reforming the tax system and promoting wealth distribution are vital for Germany's future, as a disillusioned populace flirts with radical politics, threatening the very cohesion it once prided itself on.

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Why Germany Is Rich But Germans Are Poor and Angry: Chris Bryant

By Chris Bryant

For much of its postwar history, Germany was a beacon of prosperity and political stability. Now its economy is stagnating, and social harmony has given way to acrimony and division.

Germany's grossly unequal distribution of wealth is an underappreciated cause of this malaise: The top 10% of households have at least €725,000 ($793,000) of net assets and control more than half of the country's wealth, while the bottom 40% of households have at most €44,000 of net assets, according to a Bundesbank survey in 2021.

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