East German pensioners receive thousands of euros less than in the West

Retirees in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia have on average several thousand euros less income per year at their disposal than in the western federal states. This is according to new figures from the Federal Statistical Office, which were requested by the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance. "This is a scandalous shortfall for pensioners in the east. Even 36 years later, we are still miles away from pension unity," Wagenknecht told the German Press Agency.

Substantial income gap in East and West

According to the Federal Statistical Office, women and men aged 65 and over in Saxony received an average of 25,202 euros last year. In Saxony-Anhalt it was 25,090 euros and in Thuringia 26,032 euros - compared to 29,577 euros in the west. There are further differences between women and men, with women earning less.

The sums describe the so-called net equivalent income. This is a statistical per capita income. It makes the actual standard of living of households of different sizes and compositions comparable, as items such as shared rent and the lower consumption needs of children are taken into account.

BSW announces protests if pension level is cut

"If the Federal Government were to cut the pension level in line with the Pension Commission's plans, this would also be a blow to pensioners in the east in particular, as they generally only have the statutory pension," argued Wagenknecht. If this were to happen, the BSW would "call for pension protests and turn the eastern elections into a referendum against the pension reform".