More than three decades after German reunification, the income gap between East and West grew again slightly in 2025. According to data from the Federal Statistical Office, the average net household income in the West was 39,598 euros per year, compared to 33,764 euros in the East. The difference was 5,834 euros, 540 euros higher than in 2024 (5,294 euros). The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance requested the figures from the Federal Office. Over the period since 2022, however, the overall trend is slightly positive: in percentage terms, the gap fell from 16.2% to 14.7% in 2025. The year 2024 was an outlier at 13.9 percent. The net income of the median household was compared here. Interest, rent or other income, which are less common in the east, could therefore also play a role. Party founder Sahra Wagenknecht criticized the income gap and explained it as a result of rising unemployment in the east. "If East German households have an average of almost 6,000 euros less per year at their disposal, then that is an unacceptable shortfall 36 years after reunification," said Wagenknecht. Experts point out that rents and the cost of living are also lower in some eastern German regions than in western Germany. The Federal Office's data also shows that the picture in east and west is becoming increasingly diverse: The median net disposable household income in Thuringia, for example, was higher last year at 34,440 euros than in Bremen at 32,729 euros. Copyright 2026, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved
