Nearly one in ten adults in Saxony is heavily in debt

Nearly one in ten adults (9.52 percent) in Saxony is heavily in debt. According to the latest “Debt Atlas” published by the credit reporting agency Creditreform, people in Saxony are thus slightly below the national average of 10.58 percent. The highest rate in Saxony is in Chemnitz at 12.34 percent, while the lowest is 7.48 percent in the Erzgebirgskreis district. The city of Leipzig (11.93), the districts of Northern Saxony (10.61) and Zwickau (10.41), as well as the Vogtland District (10.39), also have double-digit rates. A person is considered over-indebted if they are permanently unable to meet their financial obligations.

Number of affected individuals nationwide rose by 4.1 percent

According to the “Debtor Atlas,” the number of affected consumers across Germany rose to 7.36 million —that is 293,000, or 4.1 percent, more than in 2025. The reference date was October 1. In the previous year, the over-indebtedness rate stood at 10.16 percent. There are significant differences within Germany: The state of Bremen has the highest rate among consumers (15.89), followed by North Rhine-Westphalia (13.19) and Saxony-Anhalt (13.08). The rate is comparatively low in Bavaria (7.58 percent) and Baden-Württemberg (8.73).

The financial situation of private consumers has worsened

“The financial situation of private consumers has continued to worsen,” explained Patrik-Ludwig Hantzsch, head of economic research at Creditreform. “In particular, the sharp rise in living, energy, and housing costs is weighing on spending.” At the same time, the situation
on the labor market continues to deteriorate. “Unemployment is once again
an issue. In particular, a large number of well-paid jobs in the manufacturing sector have been cut in recent months.”

Debt Is Driven by Crises

According to Hantzsch, the current rise in cases of over-indebtedness is clearly driven by crises: “The increasing financial stress first becomes apparent in pre-litigation measures. Consumers fall behind on
paying their bills, leading to reminder and collection procedures. This is often the first step toward personal over-indebtedness. When legal measures such as foreclosures or wage garnishments are added to the mix, the over-indebtedness becomes even more entrenched.”

Middle-aged people are particularly affected

According to statistics, people of middle working age are particularly affected by over-indebtedness. 17.04 percent of 30- to 39-year-olds and 16.16 percent of 40- to 49-year-olds exhibit signs of excessive debt. “It is primarily society’s top performers—those in the prime of their working lives who must shoulder financial burdens—who are feeling the consequences of the crises,” said Hantzsch. However, over-indebtedness has risen at an above-average rate over the course of the year among young adults under 30. 

Creditreform also highlights the strained financial situation of many consumers based on a survey conducted in June of this year. According to the survey, 40.6 percent of respondents felt, at least at times over the past twelve months, that their financial obligations might be
becoming too much to handle. Among 30- to 49-year-olds, this
proportion stood at 48.7 percent, and among women at 46.6 percent.

The overview for 2026 is based on a new data set. A direct comparison with earlier publications is therefore not possible, according to the report. To put the results into context, the 2025 comparative figures for this year’s study were calculated retroactively using a mathematical-statistical method. For its “Debtor Atlas,” Creditreform analyzes anonymized data from official registries, online retailers, and other sources.