Rich and poor - The growing wealth gap in Germany | DW Documentary

Germany is one of the wealthiest countries in the world - but the gap between rich and poor continues to grow. What’s it like to live in Germany when you hardly have any money left for groceries at the end of the month? And what’s it like when you have so much money that you can barely spend it all? We tell the stories behind the bank statements - and ask why Germany is a rich country with poor people.
Elke, for example, lives off welfare. When she cooks, her priority is giving her daughter enough to eat. Elke eats the leftovers. Boris, a high-earning self-employed marketing coach, loves luxury cars and thinks being poor is a decision. And the middle-class Valdivieso family, homeowners with a comfortable income, have been worried about social decline since the energy crisis began - and feel let down by politicians. They’re not the only ones who feel like things in Germany are going downhill. What happens to a society when rich and poor keep drifting further and further apart?
One thing is sure: people are protesting. Under the hashtag “I’m affected by poverty”, resistance is growing on social media; Elke even speaks at a big demonstration in front of the Chancellery in Berlin. And there are some wealthy people who say they’d like to pay more taxes to close the wealth gap. What kind of political decisions is Germany facing?
#documentary #rich #poor #wealth #dwdocumentary
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[@kamrantaherkhani2066]

As a immigrant from Iran in The Netherlands, I noticed something seriously wrong in EU. Here it is more expensive to be poor than rich! If you cannot take a mortgage you need to pay twice for rent, if cannot afford a car, you need to live close to a train station with higher rent. In poverty you need to pay higher interests because the lenders see you with a higher risk. Working in lower paid jobs means more health hazards and sickness. You buy second hand car, lower quality furniture and… which makes you pay more in the long run. You spend a good chunk of your time searching for help and subsidies which means less time for working and cooking at home. Living in poor cities means less opportunities. The list goes on, I believe the working class should pay less tax until they built up a safety net. The government can effectively tax the working class but not the rich.

[@kohli11000]

Good observation

[@PeterWuTravelandSocial]

It's in most of the countries, unfortunately

[@Seasonednuts-iv5gd]

That description fits perfectly with the current situation

[@keysersoze5032]

@@PeterWuTravelandSocial I agree. I live in England rn and the wealth gap is the same in UK as in USA. Everywhere has significant problems and the wealthy take advantage.

[@Gigachad-mc5qz]

Its in all countries

[@niccoarcadia4179]

I'm happily poor. I have exactly what I need. I have worked hard my whole life and got nowhere. But still, I would like a nice car and clothes but again, I'm happily poor and love life. Going fishing in the river near my home. Walking on the beach on a nice day. Being able to afford a slice of pizza. Abstaining from drugs & alcohol as a way out. I will never be remembered after I die for doing anything big or writing books etc. I'm just a common man adrift in a world of greed, politics, and criminals. I'm happily poor.

[@r.s.4672]

Sounds like you are simply happy, period - good for you.

[@Yuyayayu872]

Your content and satisfied and possibly a minimalist. Poor means having few to no option to live in s safe home, limited access to food and lack of healthcare.

[@imansudrajat3297]

very well said bro..me too...i'm happily poor...

[@jsi5684]

Having what you need and being happy seem to be the opposite of poor.

[@baraka256]

“Wealth consists not in having great possessions but in having few wants”

[@ohwell2790]

I am in the USA: Living in a 24 foot trailer parked on a dirt lot, in the Arizona desert 78 years old, but in good health, living on my social security $1,500 a month.10 years ago that was good money. A 2 bed room apartment would be a castle to me. There is no safety net in the US, 22 million have no access to health care. The US is a third world country.

[@tabernathy0428]

You say there is no safety net yet you get 1500 dollars social security and you get Medicare and possibly medicaid. There are 500 dollar apartments in metropolitan areas in the United States. There are also 20 million illegal immigrants in the United States. Why do you think they should have "free healthcare"

[@nutzeeer]

@@tabernathy0428 youre a liar. Healthcare is a human right that the US only gives to the rich.

[@CaraMarie13]

@@tabernathy0428 what metropolitan area is that? Like really, reply with suggestions because am sure many people in this country would love to know what metropolitan city has that kind of rent. It's not anywhere where I live in NY, that's for sure.

[@VinyZikss]

As someone have said it before, the US is a third world country with a Gucci belt

[@schecterc1exotic]

@@CaraMarie13 Akron, Ohio

[@loesvw312]

I hate it when people say that poverty is a choice and you just have to work more or have a 'bigger vision' (whatever that means). I got seriously ill when I was only 25 years old. Def did not see that coming. Took me years to recover and when I finally could work again, nobody wanted me because I had a gap in my resume. Sometimes things just suck, even if you work hard and are ambitious.

[@barbaraescuela60]

I had the same issue being sick, but i took up any job i could. There is so much work. It's not true nobody wants you because of a gap in a resume. It's impossible. There is so much work in Europe and Germany. i can start a new job every day. You probably the same like Elke; her idea of work is "i like to be with other people" . My idea of work is i will do and learn anything. And if i don't like what i am doing, i look for something better.

[@geddon436]

@@barbaraescuela60 Have you met anyone who has physical disabilities that prevent them from working full time? What jobs did they find?

[@barbaraescuela60]

@@geddon436 There are always exception of course, and people who cannot work, do not have to work in my opinion. And can be supported by society. But for example Elke? She can travel, she can speech, she has time to complain and protest. Wish she would spent all that negative energy positively. When i could barely do anything i would go pick up cars for rental companies. Take the train and drive the car back. But you all depends what your disability is. Many times i don't feel well. I just push myself. When i could't walk i stayed at home and work at home; did part time administration for a company in Australia. What do you want to hear from me?

[@geddon436]

@@barbaraescuela60 was this happening in Europe or Australia?

[@chiragshetty4608]

​@@geddon436 yes I have . I knew a colleague of mine who 1 arm amputated from child . She was working on computer doing well in her job just with hand. She even jumped jobs for better pay and benefit. She never self pity or asked for any help infact you wont even know she doesn't have a arm because she covered herself well. If you really want to work even disability can't stop you .

[@mr.positive7510]

The young man from Nigeria is illusional. Poverty is not a mindset- it is a reality and it is happening in the midst of ignorance and greed.

[@NotfromDateline]

Poverty can be a mindset. I’ve witnessed it first hand many many times. Some people lack a desire to seek information that may benefit them. They lack the creativity or initiative. They passively accept what they have been given. They refuse to participate in the capitalist system. Some lack intelligence and others experience what is called Learned Helplessness

[@mr.positive7510]

@Chris, never! No one wakes up and chooses poverty. Poverty is the byproduct of capitalism. It is a system that is imposed on us, and we battle it daily.

[@borsch_99]

@@NotfromDateline and some are so lazy that they reject great opportunities in their lives and chose to stay poor.

[@ninalumiere145]

@@borsch_99 This anedoctal examples you guys give really doesn't apply to the entire world. You're blaming the victim.

[@zuzanazuscinova5209]

@@NotfromDateline It indeed is a mindset. A lot of people whine but do nothing to improve their competitiveness like learning new skills, getting experience etc. It's a never ending competition. Life is indeed tough for the not so competitive. It has nothing to do with capitalism, it's reality. Animals fight over the resources as well.

[@d1cks0da5]

As an auslander in germany who works minimum wage. It is not hard to live here on low wages. Yes you are poor and yes luxuries are out of reach but it beats being poor in Ireland, England and Spain from experience. Personally i get the feeling that native Germans are not used to economic hardships or living without

[@daniellamoreno3616]

How do?

[@mirabella2154]

Total Bullshit.

[@JoseFerreira-zb7wh]

There's always someone worst than you. Of course Germany isn't the best example when talking about poverty. But if the situation is getting worse, maybe you should worry: Maybe you won't have the same opinion in some years time.

[@zitronentee]

@@daniellamoreno3616 Usually the medical cost, rent, and higher education cost. Those are very affordable in Germany compared to other countries. I lived as foreign student with cost EUR 500/month at max and it's already include health insurance and haftpflichtversicherung. But it's living alone without kids. Also, finding temp job is very easy in Germany compared to other EU countries.

[@eduardin5214]

As far as I understood, the problem is that the difference between rich and poor is only increasing

[@veronikam3836]

I'm German and the family portrayed as "middle class" here is maybe at the top end of "middle class" - I would even call them wealthy. In Germany, roughly 2/3 of the population rent their house or flat - so them being house owners already makes them richer than the average person in Germany....

[@DivljaVoda]

Yeah, so the gas proces went up 3 times. So like from 60 to 180 euros a month or 100 to 300. That means they are spending the money they don't have, and living a life they cannot pay, so they aren't rich, just deluded

[@caroleyre9144]

If you own your own home…you have to pay to maintain that building and all contents don’t forget…including expensive Boilers, fixing Rooves etc etc etc …it is not easy for most people these days. Worry every day about losing it as we were already forced out of our own home in 2016 and our once lovely Community of 25 years…by these Buy to Let Landlords…many of them are from overseas…they threatened and intimidated us also wrecked our property under the guise of Repairing theirs…we ended up sandwiched in between two such SLUM LANDLORDS. We are in Broken Britain. We haven’t been able to even afford a holiday in our country never mind abroad since 2008. We hardly ever go out Socialising and we don’t even get time for a family get together at home bcs everybody is having to work so many hours and so many different weekends shifts also. I live on Home Made Broth. WE ARE ALL BEING ROBBED ! I’m a Mother I had to work all through whilst raising 2 of my own children and two stepdaughters I took on when their Mother was sent to Prison for having her third husband killed. Never been easy I never got to say at home at all to be with my Children. They…the Repugnant Rich do not want anybody being Middle Class anymore…they want us all in poverty while they have BILLIONS STOLEN FROM-ALL OF US. Land Grab.

[@Anonymos321]

42.1% of Germans own their house/flat => 57,9 rent their house/flat.

[@omnitraveller]

3500 after tax is not upper middle class in Germany

[@coopsnz1]

@@omnitraveller yep

[@silvian.4040]

As a Kenyan, I was offered 2700 initial salary in Munich, Germany last year and I was scared because the gross salary is 1800 in the most expensive city in Germany. But I could survive on it. I can't imagine how Elke survives with 1400 gross with a child 😭. My heart goes out to her. I know poverty, I have experienced it and I prefer being poor in Kenya than in Germany or any other European country 😢. I can't imagine how "unskilled" people survive in Germany.

[@joshonline2854]

Keep representing. Kazi safi.

[@stevelumumba1824]

May God bless you always as you go about your job homie

[@kenmakau192]

Lemmi stay in Kenya akii... wacha nitesekee kwetu

[@mogznwaz]

It’s mass immigration that causes high house prices and depressed wages. You are part of the problem. If you think it is better in Kenya please go back.

[@bernardvance9041]

Please go back to Kenya. Why is it that third world immigrants seem to have no interest in improving their homeland. Do they realize that creating a first world nation from the native stock is impossible?

[@jameswalker68]

The rich guy: “If you don’t get ahead, it’s your fault” Spoken like a true wealthy person. Very happy for him that he had done so well. I wonder if he ever thinks of the people who serve him at the exclusive restaurant, the person that does his dry cleaning, the person who cuts his hair, the delivery drive who delivers his packages. I guess it’s they’re fault if they are struggling, as according to him they can always do something else.

[@dekev7503]

Well he has the right to think like that because because he emigrated from a poor 3rd world country with nothing and no language skills, he worked hard and made himself a millionaire.

[@harrypass1252]

I agree just because it was good for him and he made lots of money. Dosen't mean it's the same story for everyone. Given his background the fact he was originally poor he is actually in a very rare category. It just interests me as a Australian tho because Germany being on average the highest paid citizens except for Scandanvia. What other more poorer European nations would think when they see Germans complaining about poverty lol 😂

[@dannyvs3879]

He is right! Most of these people have a passive attitude towards improving their position. Making money means thinking out of the box and grab opportunities. Non of them do, they're waiting till it is given to them. For example, why is Elke living in Berlin? Not in another city or country within the EU where she can have a better job or life? For me this is the definition of losers, just sit arround and not doing anything to improve their life's.

[@vkdrk]

It made me happy to see that someone came to Europe to actually work hard instead of using the system. He deserves what he has now

[@bsl025]

@@vkdrk the total opposite of the Syrian guy, right?

[@amorosogombe9650]

This seems to be a universal phenomenon. The gap between rich and poor is growing so vast in almost every country on earth.

[@urimtefiki226]

Exploitation is so high in the world look at the prices recently.

[@karolinaokulicki8080]

The high taxes are the problem

[@bennymuller3379]

This has always happened in history and will keep happening. But then always external or internal wars(revolutions) shifted the power and wealth structures around and the circle began anew.

[@Martial_Monkey]

It almost follows by law: the rich are rich and are getting richer because they simply know how money works.

[@Martial_Monkey]

It almost follows by law: the rich are rich and are getting richer because they simply know how money works.

[@alexisf22]

My heart goes out to the Syrian man he seems like such a gentle soul. I wish him and his family the best.

[@Eric-kn4yn]

Syrians don't seem to be gentle souls in Syria always at war

[@Okai3427]

Please be kind ​@@Eric-kn4yn

[@klara1376]

having grown up in poverty in germany with a single mother: so much respect to you Elke. I know that the fact that you are taking your voice to the street right now, that you denote your situation as unjust and systemic, takes a lot of courage because we are always taught our situation is our fault. You breaking with this image and affirming yourself is so strong and it's also going to help your daughter to have a better relationship with this part of her identity, I'm sure it can. Lots of respect, stay with this power and Liebe grüße:)

[@YangwanAuto]

Stop the self pity

[@JP-ee1wn]

@@YangwanAuto , totally agree. Everyone is responsible for himself. Blaming society or the state for anything is soo wrong.

[@iSkyline1]

@@JP-ee1wn So you think it's right to tell poor people they are solely responsible for their situation, like Klara was? Your argument ignores centuries of history and knowledge regarding psychology and sociology. If you want to make money in this economy you need money and a healthy dose of luck. The statisticcs bear that out, rather than your reductionist reasoning which is just supposed to protect your ego. It also shows your utter lack of self-reflection and empathy (empathy =/= sympathy). "I did it so everyone else can if they just work hard" has been disproven time and time again and anecdotes won't change that fact.

[@atboy4342]

@@iSkyline1 Don’t spend your time arguing with silly people. « Blaming society or the state for anything is soo wrong » As if the individual has nothing to do with those two points argued. Everything is somehow inter related.

[@iSkyline1]

@@atboy4342 "Everything is somehow inter related." It is of course, yet a lot of people blame solely the individual rather than calling out obvious flaws in the system. It's so ignorant and egotistical. "Don’t spend your time arguing with silly people." I know I shouldn't. It's a waste of time but sometimes I can't help myself.😅

[@delvonwilliams7672]

My heart goes out to Daniyar and his family, losing a parent is never easy. Hang in there brother.

[@repealthepoorlaws6864]

Not to mention losing his homeland.

[@daniyarsulaiman6281]

Thank you 😢

[@marwansal4175]

Watching the first 90 seconds and it sounds like the same problem worldwide.

[@kevintewey1157]

That's why I felt confident to skip to the end I bet I missed nothing

[@Nine-Signs]

DW like to inform the masses but only ever up to a point, they will never inform you/them systemically/critically, they got through this entire thing without mentioning capitalism once. There is a growing wealth gap in most nations, because the problem is NOT Germany or any other nation, the problem is capitalism, and so long as that system now in its late stages persists, the majority can only ever get poorer, in order for the capitalist minority to continue to get richer than god can count, Oh, and one other thing, No amount of solar panels, wind turbines, green growth agendas, no new taxes nor new regulations, and no technology today, nor any coming down the road, will EVER be able to allow a perpetual growth socioeconomic belief system such as capitalism, to outrun the immutable physics governing finite world. Attempting to use greenwashing technologies in effort to make capitalism compatible with the immutable physics of this world is akin to putting on your best running shoes in effort to run up an ever increasing landslide, sure you will get further up with the technofix shoes than without them, but make no mistake, nature via physics in motion will bury you eventually. New global economic system needed, not just pissing around at the margins within XYZ nation. And this needs to be well under way by 2030 because if we have not made serious inroads to dismantling global capitalism by then I can promise you due to the laws that govern reality that most complex life on the surface will be dying or dead as we approach 2100.

[@rar45]

that's because it's also the intention that most of them end up with nothing left. You own nothing and will be happy. Instead of uniting and demanding what should be ours, we are asking governments for a solution and they have it but then we have to give up this and that and do what they ask. You own nothing and will be happy unless you belong to the facilitators

[@lacdirk]

Nope. For much of the world, things have been getting dramatically better over the past few decades.

[@rangoman1815]

I feel like since I've got to know God, I've been more happier even in the midst of gloom and doom of my third world country! Death don't fear me since my sins are forgiven and debt paid by Christ! I read and hear great preachers from Europe and America, especially Martin Luther, from Germany and how Christianity or the Protestant reformation changed whole of the West and the world. Sad, to see the West deserting God and this hopelessness. Well, I do have many problems but resting on God is so much better, the burden being lifted!

[@guapamiss]

I’m absolutely touched by Dani’s story! Dani, you should be proud of yourself and keep on going! It all will come to places at some point. You are young and you’re going the right direction. I’m an immigrant in Germany myself and I feel you a lot

[@alvarolachner]

I was very moved by Daniyar’s story. He seems to be such a good person with great values and despite all of the hardships he has endured in his life, he still has the willingness to smile and go ahead in pursuit of his goals. Super proud of you Daniyar! 👏🏻 Soon all your efforts will result in success and a better life!

[@ifeoluwaadeoye6557]

I am also a Nigerian immigrant living and working in France. I also had to work 2x as hard to get to where I am today. However, I still recognise that it isn't all on my own. From the support I received while at school as well as the infrastructure that allowed me to find online work to support myself, I didn't make that happen. That was the whole reason I had to leave my home country in the first place.

[@sueelliott4793]

Stay strong, my dad taught me that if you work hard or try with all your might that it would pay off eventually. Never give up !! My dad was a very intelligent person. Hi from a Kiwi South African 👍😉

[@repealthepoorlaws6864]

Well done, when you say you had to work 2v harder, harder than who? Harder than other Nigerians, harder than French, harder than Americans, Chinese, what do you mean?

[@ifeoluwaadeoye6557]

@@repealthepoorlaws6864 way to miss the point. Ever had to move to a country where you don't speak the language having to live and work?

[@repealthepoorlaws6864]

@@ifeoluwaadeoye6557 I've lived and worked in several countries where I didn't speak the native language, and then learnt them, what's your point?

[@DanDanJanJanJP]

A better question is: did working 2x as hard take you 2x as far?

[@Notfunnysam]

People working a 40 hour week with no opportunity for advancement shouldn't struggle to make ends meet. People who say work more are missing the point.

[@playthegame7445]

Imagine being so privileged, to be able to complain that u cant eat what u want every day.

[@benedictarnold8506]

Funny enough, a friend that I referred to her received $6,040 profit after 10 days of investing.... I became jealous.. Lol😂😂

[@benedictarnold8506]

She's always available on face ~~ book

[@benedictarnold8506]

Blythe Masters(Expert)

[@KyleEvra]

Imagine being a Pronatalist Breeder and forcing children to experience abusive Wage Slavery when they are older.

[@aritraray3068]

I am sorry but coming from a country like India it is often impossible for me to relate to some of these people here. Even though I can sympathize with their struggles, they really have no idea how good they have it here in Germany. It would be impossible for a single mother with a daughter in India to not work for three years and still be able to afford living in a two bedroom apartment and send her daughter to school. I can only imagine what it must be like in sub Saharan Africa. If anything, it goes to show the strength of Germany's social safety nets. About the second family, they seem to be living above their means. Their house looks super luxurious and they're homeowners with two daughters on a combined net income of 3500 Euros per month. Of course, they're feeling the pinch. But you can't blame the government if you are living beyond your means on a middle class income. What amazes me though is that how everyone in Germany sort of takes free education and healthcare for granted. That's what the vast majority of people around the world spend the most on besides housing. At least you have that covered in Germany no matter how poor you are. And no, it's not the government's responsibility to ensure that you can take vacations once in a while. You can't expect tax payers to fund luxuries. I truly feel sorry for the Syrian guy though. He was dealt an incredibly rough hand and I can't help but admire him for taking everything in his stride and still keeping a positive attitude.

[@blanket.explores]

And even though india is such a poor county compared to Germany, Indians' English is superb.

[@williamhornabrook8081]

It's a big and growing problem in many countries. I think it's sad and gross that some people experience extraordinary excess when others simply don't have enough to get by. Obviously, you want an economy that rewards hard work, excellence and good ideas, but the balance seems to be quite far off where it needs to be.

[@blizzard762]

I agree, but would argue that the economy does not currently reward those things. People who collect dividends on their massive inherited wealth are rewarded far better than those who toil away at two full-time jobs.

[@patrickfitzgerald2861]

In a free and democratic country you improve this through sensible tax and wealth distribution laws. If you live in one of those countries (like Germany) and things are not working well, you need to elect people who will try and legislate solutions.

[@janstaes2172]

nice video, if the inequality is left unchecked, it will and allready is causing extremism on both sides of the political spectrum. even warren buffet one of the most succesfull investors is saying tax me more please.

[@MyFirstHandle]

You get a great amounts of money but you spent all of them in a matter of days. Then you complain what kind of promise the society has given you to be poor. It's you.

[@coopsnz1]

@@patrickfitzgerald2861 so vote for Party that screw middle class & upper class more left parties . It wasn't left party that help m8dle class

[@oldnepalihippie]

As an American who went through this in the 70s 80s and 90s, I feel for the German middle-class poor today. We were promised a trickle-down, but I never saw it, and I worked for a large tech company that suppressed wages on purpose, even as they outsourced the higher-paying jobs to China. The "American Dream" never came true for my family, as we did not invest in stocks and bonds, but just modest homes that never turned out to be game-changing investments. Plus, we had to struggle with child care, medical bills, and the high costs of education. Perhaps the American Dream is a global nightmare for the world's hard-working people.

[@Daan_Knobbout]

I sometimes fear the idea that we cannot even go back to a simpler existence in this world that continues to develop in favor of globalism. it would be a global war of the basic resources that we need. You have to buy from the supermarket here. Markets still kinda exist buy much less so, and more and more increasing their models on a more expensive niche. You want to fulfill a more ''traditional'' role? Well kinda to bad for you because the big industries can provide it way cheaper than you ever could. My grandfather was a local baker. He bought flour and other ingredients from the market and baked bread 5 days a week. People eat bread almost daily and go to their local bakery to buy it. He filled a role and had a comfortable life as a result. The bakery is now the rich guy's option, as providing this common good for your community can only succeed from the existence of middle class families. Which can afforrd bread at double the price daily and find this trade-off worth their money over the supermarket bread. I consider this a major shift in society between 2 generations of living. It applies to a LOT of goods and services. A more ''modern'' role would be a cash register at the local big stores. A role which is almost always unfulllfilling, has bad pay as you rake in the cash for people up in the chain, and is even looked down upon by society. ''well it's their own fault'' okay, so these people and their roles are meaningless nowadays.The whole country buys their food at these stores and a crucial part of their functionality is looked down upon, that worries me.

[@oldnepalihippie]

@@Daan_Knobbout yes, the idea of "dirty jobs" being meaningless and lower caste is toxic for our civilization. In Nepal, rural farmers are considered somehow lower than city dwellers with office jobs, yet without the simple farmer, all the rich city folk would starve to death.

[@rake483]

I find it hard to feel sorry for the middle class when they keep voting conservative again and again. The last 30 years have clearly shown that trickle down economics doesn't work as intended, but people still vote for it. They are like sheep voting for a wolf.

[@JoseFerreira-zb7wh]

The American Dream was sold all over the world and everyone fell for it. It was all just a lie to feed the elites.

[@heavenhelpus479]

Reagan's trickle down magnified the wealth/income gap exponentially. The only thing that trickles down from the super rich and mega corps. is urine and feces.

[@Richardcarlett]

Some economists have projected that both the U.S. and parts of Europe could slip into a recession for a portion of 2023. A global recession, defined as a contraction in annual global per capita income, is more rare because China and emerging markets often grow faster than more developed economies. Essentially the world economy is considered to be in recession if economic growth falls behind population growth.

[@DavidRiggs-dc7jk]

My main concern now is how can we generate more revenue during quantitative times? I can't afford to see my savings crumble to dust.

[@jeffery_Automotive]

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[@philipr1759]

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[@jeffery_Automotive]

JULIE ANNE HOOVER ’is the advisor that guides me. She’s a verified coach and she helped me see that returns can be made in both bull and bear markets. She covers things like investing, insurance, making sure retirement is well funded and looking at ways to have a volatility buffer for investment risk, look - her up .

[@philipr1759]

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[@lim8581]

"Germany's Rich-Poor Divide" documentary dives deep into the contrasting lives of its citizens, evoking empathy for those facing financial hardships and admiration for those willing to bridge the gap. It's a powerful reminder of the importance of social cohesion. Thank you for shedding light on this vital issue.

[@mrdominic1858]

That Syrian guy is such a gentleman; I wish him and his family all the best.

[@greentea8852]

When he spoke about racism, it is real here in Germany. You are going to be Ausländer forever regardless how much you contribute to the society. The integration is not working as the expert said

[@and.me_7390]

@@greentea8852 Syrians were not invited to come and german constitution also forbids accepting asylum from people who passed several secure states. I don‘t think a syrian should complain at all. He can always go back from where he came from.

[@xz4409]

@@and.me_7390 Im turkish and agree with the syrian

[@and.me_7390]

@@xz4409 Well then take the syrians to turkey? Turkey is syrias neighbour and obligated to do so. But wasn‘t it the turkish government who suddenly closed and controlled the borders and even after the earth quake everyone needed to beg Erdogan to open them in order to help. And isn‘t it the turkish government who prepared to send soldiers to syria to enter the fight against the syrian Kurds? Maybe you should start with your country first.

[@ibizawavey8630]

This is human nature, I learned this at 8 playing monopoly the game with friends/family. It was all fun and games but I understood at some level some people took JOY at literally buying every property they could, sometimes getting competitive about taking you out lol This trickles down to adults who want to dunk on people who have less. This is happening worldwide.

[@alexbetts8291]

The average person is mentally at 8 years old a fair comparison to the future adult they become,, do you have all the hotels or did you find it obscene to have it all ?

[@jimk8520]

Very few people learn the lesson that the game was attempting to teach us.

[@Nine-Signs]

but of course, capitalism incentivises contempt for those without wealth by those who have it, sociopathy to protect wealth, and greed to make it grow. Everything a mother naturally teaches a child not to do, Capitalism incentivises and rewards the doing of, So why in Gods name would you or anyone else have expected the world to be in any less shit than it is today as a result of this top down systemically unstable anti democratic global economic system. There is no morality, nor religion, that could defend capitalism today, its results are indefensible to any decent minded human.

[@simplesimon5739]

Yeah 3njoyed eding up with it all, and nothing 😒

[@SvalbardSleeperDistrict]

"This is human nature" Stop right there, and learn some political theory and history. Or even just take a look around countries existing today and compare inequalities in e.g. US to Norway, etc. Nothing "just exists", is "natural order", or falls down from the sky when it comes to human societies. Human societies can be, and are, shaped by specific decisions we make on how to structure them. Inequality, poverty, climate harm, etc are outcomes of *specific decisions made by specific groups of people with specific aims*. That reality can be changed at any time, and is changing all the time in history. Next time you decide to handwave away these outcomes as some sort of ethereally existing constant, give a thought about how e.g. neoliberal capitalist model has impoverished people after it was adopted by political and economic elites in the late 70s, after decades of much more egalitarian postwar development under a different economic model. And then read a few books and history lessons to see how capitalism, in any form, is what is producing these outcomes.

[@cordeliav3055]

Elke, you are NOT a failure. You are a shining star for what you are doing to survive. The very famous Dolores Cannon says imagine you have what you want. Imagine it as being fulfilled. You could be amazed.

[@lucafrattini2484]

It's so easy for people who are extraordinarily gifted and affluent that poverty is a choice; for most of us mere mortals it's not so black or white! Such flagrant lack of empathy and compassion is the reason for all the misery and want in this world. Love your programs, much love and support from Italy 🇮🇹

[@blablabla670]

well said

[@floydamide]

As a black man, who is at best a second gen immigrant, he owes you no empathy.

[@floydamide]

@@cosmos1927 lol don't be silly. Context matters. Also Maslow. Empathy is naturally crucial, but it does not fit here, sorry.

[@majeedmamah7457]

​@@floydamideall ppl should have empathy f9r each other.

[@leoninocat5070]

Emphaty don't fit here?really?

[@noellewest4347]

Relative is the key word here. I moved to Germany from California a few years ago, and I earn a pittance of a salary. But I am most certainly not experiencing poverty. I have a part-time job that pays me generously (in my opinion), and because I can easily live in this country without a car, I am able to save a chunk of my small salary every month. If Germans want to see actual poverty vs excess, they should go to California... and be prepared to buy a car, spend a fortune on petrol and insurance, and spend countless hours sitting in traffic wasting their expensive petrol.

[@JoseFerreira-zb7wh]

There is always someone worst than you. And I'm sure neither Germany or the US are the best examples when talking about poverty. Still, that doesn't mean that most people's lives aren't getting worse (at different levels) around the world and that people shouldn't protest and be happy about it.

[@jevgenisved1419]

Oh yes, Europe is sooo much better

[@JoseFerreira-zb7wh]

@@jevgenisved1419 unless you're filthy rich, yes. no doubt about it.

[@adhikarismriti4398]

Um maybe you haven't seen the ppl who are living a worse life than you? And don't you think US and Europe are bead examples for poverty. I am also an immigrant living in Germany. Middle class. Both of my parents work full time, so they pay at leat 3000€ tax together everymonth. So my mom only gets 1 k € every month. We can no more afford even the smallest things in Aldi and so on. Another huge poverty group in Germany are the pensioners. Worked their whole life and now they don't get enough to buy their food. You might say well they should have choosen another job. No that's not the case. Do you know how many pensioners get 3k €, only 30 people nationwide. You can see that they are the rich ppl. Just because you are managing to get by does not mean other ppl aren't suffering.

[@noellewest4347]

@@adhikarismriti4398 You are absolutely right, and I am so sorry that my post implied such a broad, sweeping statement about Germany. I agree that neither the US nor Germany should be seen as examples of poverty. I also think that part of my success here in Germany is not earned but rather a result of privilege - I have a US passport, speak and write very well in English, have the right kind of look and appeal for university research programs, and I know how to make the most of an opportunity that has been handed to me in Germany. I do know that others, even in the university system, are much less fortunate. A young friend of mine in Brazil had to leave Germany because she could not afford to stay here, and now she is fighting to find a way to come back and take care of herself. So, you are right. My good fortune does not mean that poverty does not exist here. I was merely trying to point out, however, that the level of poverty and suffering in Germany cannot touch that of California. This is due to the absence of social infrastructure in the US that makes it more of a corporation than a country. In my city (San Diego), people are having to make daily choices between taking their children to the doctor when they are sick and buying food to feed them during the week. When the pandemic hit, countless Californians were suddenly left with no access to basic healthcare because they'd lost their jobs. And, in San Diego and Los Angeles, you can see as many people sleeping outside on a few square meters of sidewalk alone as you would encounter in the whole of Frankfurt and Berlin. That is poverty. But unseen to most of the world outside the States is the struggle that working class people go through to afford a home, healthcare, and transportation. This is why many Americans (including Californians) have to live to work as opposed to working to live.

[@absoluteeverything1980]

"you don't get what you deserve you get what you negotiate" - i've heard this quote somewhere and is stuck with me since.

[@tim3440]

100% True.

[@noraleestone2859]

There's another quote along similar lines, from an old book called How To Get Lucky: "Fairness is a human concept. It does not actually exist in the Universe. Therefore, in life, you don't get what you deserve, you get what you get."

[@darthsorosious3985]

- Nick Hannuer TED

[@freddyjafar1490]

Does this apply to everything in life?

[@tim3440]

@@freddyjafar1490 Yes.

[@JAM-65]

The middle class in Canada is really hurting too. Food prices are absolutely ridiculous. Rents and home ownership are out of reach for many. Here in Toronto we have a huge growing homeless crisis and food banks have line ups down the street. Taxes just keep on increasing, peoples wages stay stagnant, while CEOs and politicians give themselves massive raises

[@MrDedushkoMoroz]

Oh , I thought people in Canada were happy with their choice of Liberals and NDP ? Are they not ? Aren't Trudeau and Singh socialist ? Cheap housing for everybody , support the poor, taxed the rich, legalize drugs ? How come ppl of Toronto are not happy with their choice of marxists ? Just curious 😁

[@JAM-65]

@@MrDedushkoMoroz unfortunately due to our voting system,Trudeau keeps on getting in. He does not win the popular vote. Toronto andMontreal keep the liberals in power. I can assure that I do not support Trudeau or Singh. He is a disaster and I can’t believe that people still support him

[@s.tanh9818]

Keep voting for pretty boy Trudeau.... you've seen nothing yet

[@coopsnz1]

Ceo paid by shareholders a franchise doesn't have a ceo you buy from a consumer

[@omnitraveller]

Knowing how insanely good the working conditions are at the German car manufacturers I cannot feel sorry for the VW guy... He probably gets 35-40 days of paid leave per year, a nice yearly bonus that's given to all employees, a big discount on his car, a subsidized canteen etc. He can send his daughters to a free university in Germany and they can also live a nice life.

[@celestestillings5556]

Excellence documentary! Sadly wealth disparity has occurred in many countries since in 80s and it isn’t getting better.

[@DWDocumentary]

Thanks for watching and for your constructive feedback! :-)

[@angelachanelhuang1651]

germany still flourishes

[@lecho0175]

Neoliberalism. You love to see it

[@skycloud4802]

A post capitalism world.

[@Prprpsksks]

Thank neoliberal capitalism

[@mickyfassbender448]

I finished my PhD in Germany and wanted to live there and got a job in Hamburg but I wasn't happy there. I can speak fluent German, had a decent income and yet somehow life seemed so stressful there, it's not the kind of stress you get in the US - mostly too much work. In Germany I lost the meaning of life and came to Vietnam and I'm very happy there. After some years I even save enough money to buy a house and invest a bit. Best decision ever!

[@n.m6249]

I fully agree with you, people are miserable in Germany, even the well off. I think the social aspect has been neglected too much. We are poor as hell in Africa but people are so happy and kind despite poverty

[@byron7164]

@@n.m6249 Im from germany, i have enough money, more space in my house than I can use, I own 3 flats. I have everything I need but still i hate my life. I dont know why.

[@jamilakatze2128]

i had a similar experience. im american and lived in germany for 15 years. smart move of you to move to vietnam. i returned home to america. i dont regret leaving germany but america is too capitalistic.

[@susannehuber3996]

@@byron7164 I totally get it. I’m also doing very well for myself but are extremely unhappy and stressed for no reason. I think what makes me depressed is the fact that people are not nice and helpful towards each other. I always try to be helpful and get marked for it.

[@davisholman8149]

@@jamilakatze2128 The USA is huge - if you do not like one place - try another. If you dislike the capitalism aspect of life here - try a small rural town. We have lots of quaint places with desirable places to rent - fun outdoor parks, lakes, etc. to enjoy. Buy a used van, put a mattress in it & some soft storage containers & become a nomad while you search for your own Nirvana. There are jobs to be had with a laptop & portable Wi-Fi service. Just trying to help open your eyes to possibilities. ☮ ✌🏽😎🇺🇸

[@contemplatinggod2791]

Boris has a narrow view of poverty, and its scary. Alot of things culminates to people being poor, not only laziness and not taking risks. Some simply fall through the cracks regardless of effort.

[@playthegame7445]

No trust me, he probably experienced proper poverty when young, and due to him not victimizing himself and working hard to make it, thats admirable. Elka i feel for her, but why should others pay more taxes just to fund her life, why does she fell so entitled that she believes others to be working hard just so she can have a better life. People to often forget that every action has a reaction in life sooner or later, The decisions u make early in life will affect most of ur adult life. People in the west should seriously stop victimizing themselves and grab the many opportunities that they have around them, cos there a re plenty. Always blaming the rich, not all of them were born rich, a lot of them worked hard countless hours, days, studying researching, etc. to be were thy are now unlike most of the population where they go by the garbage slogan '#live ur life cos uve got only one' and most of them end up like Elka, and now demanding their life style be paid by others. Imagine how many weekend these so called rich people have staid in working, imagine how many parties or events have they missed just to make it big. Its so stupid that people focus only on the money and take out of the equation the hell of a road to get to that money, cos money doesnt grow in the trees.

[@jakobfruh8635]

maybe if you once hit rock bottom in live u will be glad that there is a society that is little bit more social than america. but thats something people need to experience in order to understand

[@muddyhotdog4103]

@@jakobfruh8635 America has many social safety nets for its citizens, and even aid for housing/food/healthcare for new immigrants. Sure it's not as great as some of the smaller EU countries, but they also don't take in *millions* of new immigrants every year. The countries with the best social welfare systems are also the hardest to immigrate to, and take in very little immigration (cuz they need every penny for its own citizens to keep up the system). Look at Sweden, just a small amount of refugees almost broke the system. There may not be the best welfare system in the USA but it has the most success in upward class mobility of other 1st world countries, and many people around the world have gotten the opportunity to make awesome lives doing so. It's just a different system, is what it is.

[@JudgeyJudgeyable]

He's one of those people who got lucky and now thinks everyone can do what he did. Also he's 25 so what does he really know. And how did he even make the money?

[@bomando]

@@playthegame7445 well said.

[@tonylayfield8750]

Wrt "Their gas bill almost tripled due to the current 'energy crisis' ". A more honest description would be that the short-sighted German government didn't diversify the countries energy supply and became massively over dependent upon a gas supply from Russia.

[@agnieszkamajer1088]

It was similar during the Brexit campaign - people turned not against the mega-rich, not against turbo-capitalist politicians but against poor migrants Eastern Europe. With the 'energy crisis' discourse is getting similarly close to this rethoric.

[@geoffoakland]

True, but if Russia hadn't invaded Ukraine abd started this insane war, gas prices and many other things would not be as expensive as they are and fewer people would be suffering.

[@lavinder11]

@@geoffoakland No. If Germany hadn't agreed to sanctions that were obviously going to bite them in the rear, German people's wouldn't be freezing paying nearly six times the amount ot buy gas from the US.

[@IvanChepanovvankata87]

Poor life in Germany is considered rich in Bulgaria. You have no idea what poverty is. Come to Bulgaria and see the real face of the poverty .

[@douglasnisbet1189]

There is always someone worse off. Yemenis would say to Bulgarians to visit Yemen to see what real poverty looks like.

[@thedivachannel3790]

So Germany is such a wealthy country that even the so-called "poor" Germans have beautiful houses and furniture. Even that woman Elke still has a decent laptop and nice hotel curtains. I mean the real poor people here in the Philippines would want their life and trade places with them. Just like what that guy said, "It's all a mindset"... and the mindset is they're just comparing themselves with their wealthier countrymen.

[@martavega2860]

We all know Boris makes money in shady ways 😂😂😂😂

[@bernieschau]

This was an informative piece, thank you for your journalist work 🙏. I’m a German born Canadian and I found it interesting that problems are similar across first-world countries like Germany and Canada.

[@CMoore8539]

America too.

[@aleksutsepesh1692]

Dubai?

[@DWDocumentary]

Thanks a lot for watching and for your positive feedback. We appreciate you taking the time to comment and are glad you like our content!

[@uliinoz1229]

Australia

[@BenjaminMilekowsky]

@@aleksutsepesh1692 dubai is not a country, dubai is a continent..happy now ??

[@benediktwildoer8384]

People like Daniyar are true inspirational figures! So much hardship, but no sense of bitterness, but going on, providing for his families, sometimes even with a smile. You are contributing more to our German society than many Germans I know!

[@daniyarsulaiman6281]

Thank you 🙏🏻

[@adnanebelfaquir]

@@daniyarsulaiman6281 i am moroccan bro but even tho u are the most optimistic one of them you lost more but u still believe in allah definitely ur mother is proud of u may allah help u und ur family

[@GraceNjoroge-ic6ej]

He's a true example of the power of embracing technology and adapting technological advances. That's where money is.

[@evb7373]

He hasn't contributed anything except taking up space. Seems it's all just taxpayer money he has gotten

[@DarkAngel-vf4em]

how not to be poor when government taxes you to death. Taxes for overtime, late work, On-call service , weekends work. They share you with everything you earn. Housing issues and the government doesn't give a damn about it. In Germany a third of net income goes to the rent.

[@ktheodor3968]

As ever *quality* programme by DW. Thank you for making it accessible.

[@gretareinarsson7461]

The problem is - as in most other countries - greed. Happiness has been conditioned to money, the more you have the happier you will be. It’s a lie.

[@moniho6907]

Not necessarily but you want money to have

[@Microphunktv-jb3kj]

This bs what your commenting is taught in poor families, not in rich families. that's why you are poor :D you were raised to be poor....

[@lockethomas7165]

Least of Germanys problems going for a walk in Germany these days is like going for a walk in New Delhi

[@fionastempel]

@@lockethomas7165 was soll das heißen?

[@moniho6907]

@@lockethomas7165 you people always come with some racist shit, and hate when you are called out for racism, the hell is this for????? Yoi always act brand-new as if you guys were born with a clean spoon, the hell, don't forget your pass because it's who you guys truly are

[@sophiegrothe4424]

The Nigerian influencer made me wonder why DW chose him in the documentary. Why didn't they find someone who has climbed the career ladder in a corporation? The influencer does hard work and he is successful in achieving his goals. Yes. But he is completely denying the fact that the starting conditions, contacts and luck are part of the equation. The fact that he earns so much from online marketing shows who the labor market is rewarding the most.

[@Deadstep7]

And so what? Who told you that if you work as a plumber or at the factory you should earn the same as marketing influencer or that your income should rise at the same pace? Its an absolute delusion.

[@t-bone9239]

@@Deadstep7 not at all what he said

[@william_SMMA]

Just say you're racist and get on with it

[@alfredhitchcock45]

He is black to begin with

[@shyamganeshkandasamy]

As an Indian living in Germany, i can sympathise with Dani. I hope his family finds better resources and I wish that I can do something to help the people.

[@neo5973]

@No No no he doesn’t need to leave jack shit. If anything he’s contributing by paying taxes so govt can help others too. So what are you talking about?

[@steflift5165]

If the Indian tech workers didn't support the native populations, the contracts would simply go to India itself

[@steflift5165]

@No No care to elaborate on your defense / rebuttal? Reasons?

[@neo5973]

@No No you missed the boat with digitalisation anyway 😂 wtf you talking about people need to leave? You’re basically at the point of FIFO.. fit in fuck off with the economy and that means you need to make changes to accommodate skilled workers. Not everyone has a dream job to be a plumber or electrician 😂😂

[@jafarbek5581]

As a person from third-world country (Uzbekistan), this wealth gap is everywhere. In Germany at least you can see, feel and most importantly vote for the regulations and policies. But here everything is so mess. Monopolies, Corruption, and Wild unregulated unfair businesses are making everything even worse. Most people just survive, they don't have basic infrastructure, clean water, and consistent electricity. While corrupt rich and corrupt politics are stealing people's lives.

[@LarsHaendler]

This is the reason why many skilled workers have been leaving Germany for Switzerland, Austria or Scandinavian countries.

[@uyenngo1751]

Oh really, I am planing to move to Germany, can you share me more?

[@tbtb-nm2ef]

Poverty is relative. If you compare German "poverty" with Eastern European poverty or third word poverty they are totally different things.

[@haute03]

Hence why they explained and used the term "relative poverty."

[@ioan-gabrielcretu3262]

How one cannot find work in Germany is beyond me. Eastern Europeans find jobs in what is basically 3 days. Everyone I know in Germany says that their employers are looking for more employees.

[@xoopss]

I’m from Latvia and not working for 3 years here is impossible Oo people from rich countries are complaining that they struggle to survive because their benefits are too small is shocking to me - my mother had to work on 3 jobs for around $100 a month in 90s to raise 3 kids on her own. 😮

[@adghat7819]

Ask, your mother how she struggled and how many nights she cried.

[@RifetOkic]

It’s much more nuanced then that, not to mention unfair. A Japanese poor person has allot of money compared to us, but that doesn’t matter 1 bit, because his expenses are also extremely high. I might have allot of money compared to a Bosnian, but here in Holland it’s also way more expensive. I don’t know how some survive, even in Croatia for example, where salaries are not payed in time.

[@valeriahaze9509]

All moms like yours are heroes ❤️

[@MarcusSchmalzlockus]

What is heroic about bringing another human being into a life of struggle and hardship just to satisfy a desire that is completely selfish? There is no need to provide the capitalist system with more wage slaves.

[@renanxd04]

@@RifetOkic I can relate to what he said, because here in Brazil she would be living out of eating leftovers from the trash if didn't work for 3 years. Of course there are much more than that, but in any society, if everyone just stop working, how will it function? There has to be something wrong with this welfare state model, and something very wrong on how the opportunities are made or offered to someone in that situation. Even if it is to clean the street, clean houses, lawn mowing, there must be something that lady can do in order to earn some money besides social aid

[@jamesmiller3816]

I am inclined to to take a jab at Boris for his blaming the victim of poverty to the victim. He is indigenous to an oil and other mineral rich country, yet it is, to a great extent impoverished, which I presume is what prompted him to immigrate to Germany. I congratulate him on his success, but be mindful of the fact that poverty isn’t a chosen way of life. Finally, I would hope that he is sharing his experiences, knowledge, and money In trying to uplift his family in Nigeria.

[@rexx9496]

He's a good example of survivor bias. I'm sure he works hard, but because he succeeded, he thinks anyone that doesn't have what he has didn't work hard enough. That's such bullshit. There are many people working hard who will never make 50,000 euros a month. Many who work in the same industry he is. Fortune also factors in heavily, things outside of our control like getting a lucky break. And also, there isn't enough money in the economy for everyone to make 50k euros a month, no matter how hard they try. And if there was there would be hyperinflation to the point that it would devalue the money. Capitalism will ALWAYS look like a pyramid with a tiny cone at the top which widens as you go lower. We can't ALL be filthy rich. Someone has to do blue collar work.

[@efosaenoma2217]

As a Nigerian myself I am forced to agree with you sadly. Maybe Boris himself (a flimsy decoy name for a Nigerian) might just be one of the profiteers of our corrupt government. Wealth is wealth everywhere if he was already well off immigrating at least to some high social standards, it won't be different in Germany.

[@lavinder11]

That Nigerian being a rich immigrant seems to be a sore spot in this comment section.

[@jamesmiller3816]

@@Margherite2 His superficial wealth has contributed to his mental immaturity, and supercilious behavior.

[@amusingbouche4551]

The reason the status quo continues is because of exactly what Boris said: most people are doing well enough. It's the same across all rich developed countries.

[@JoseFerreira-zb7wh]

what the documentary states is exactly that that idea is shifting. That's the whole point when talking about increasing inequality in developed countries.

[@Daurelius]

Das ist eine wundervolle Doku. Das habt ihr wirklich gut gemacht :) ich find das immer klasse wenn man deutsche Projekte auf englisch produziert. Ich hoffe ihr macht weiter so. Endlich mal quality input aus Deutschland ♥️

[@nadafairooz4459]

You are beautiful

[@darius2n]

Can't really continue watching because my heart aches. Ache because what this video says as "poor people" will be considered "middle class" or even "rich enough" in my home country.

[@annahuffman6613]

Basic needs are covered even if someone is living in poverty here. As someone who works in healthcare in the US I can’t overstate how much different this makes things. Not to mention that medical debt and bankruptcy as well as cost of medicine and healthcare if you have chronic diseases are often the reason for poverty or homelessness here. Also, since the euro and dollar are almost equivalent right now, I can confidently say her unemployment amount is more than most here. Most don’t have any money left for food or other expenses, most times it’s not even enough to pay for housing so they are in the hole before the check is even cashed, plus they also have to pay for healthcare and education out of pocket because there is no safety net. One hospitalization could put someone on the streets and that is horrifying.

[@ramparkash2318]

@annahuffman6613. Ur saying absolutely right.

[@nadafairooz4459]

You are beautiful

[@davisholman8149]

That is why there is Obamacare for insurance - you pay according to income & Medicaid for those who qualify. Yes, you should have an emergency fund for the copays & expenses. Everyone needs an emergency fund - ideally 10K or more.

[@werbnaright5012]

Middle class is not real. You have owner class, worker class and those who have to survive on the crumbs left over.

[@fernandavergara1067]

middle class = premium poor xD

[@user-gv9zy4ki1x]

Agree, working class call themselves middle class to feed their own ego.

[@Ruslana_Bobrivska]

Working class is people who work as cashiers, waiters. Middle class is people who work in IT, corporations. Are the second ones poor?

[@fernandavergara1067]

@Melania Bobby premium. Worker class as well. They are not rich. They must sell their time and knowledge. Just because you can afford more doesn't mean you are "middle". It is just made up so they can feel their are special and stop caring about the low income people 😉 after all, their income is closer to the income of a cashier than the rich class

[@werbnaright5012]

@@Ruslana_Bobrivska Anyone who cannot survive without providing labour to another will forever live their life in debt.

[@karlnapp2740]

Interesting how an overweight woman (Elke) claims to eat only mini portion leftovers from her daughter. And it is hard to believe that she cannot find a job for 3-4 hrs a day working with people, such as in a restaurant or retirement home...

[@azulajiyuu5918]

People also gain weight from stress or not being able to afford fresh food...

[@karlnapp2740]

People gain weight from eating too much. And in my personal experience, fresh food, i.e. vegetables in season, are usually cheaper than processed food (e.g. usually less than EUR 1 per kilo of carrots, potatoes, onions ,... often even apples)

[@coracora161]

congratulations! you and the greens put a lot of effort into this!

[@fabiodeoliveiraribeiro1602]

Being poor in a country where the majority of the population is poor is not perceived as a particularly painful thing. Being rich in a country where there are a lot of rich people can be a source of suffering, because it usually comes when people start to compare themselves with others and feel inferior for some reason. Being rich in a poor country is considered a good thing, but it does not comfort a person if he compares himself to a rich person in a rich country. The true measure of human wealth or poverty is the happiness that a human being feels being who he is, extracting the best that life can offer him according to the context in which he lives. As long as everything is measured in economic terms, unhappiness cannot be taken out of the equation. But something important needs to be recognized: neoliberalism leaves millions of people starving, and that is terrible. No one can be happy starving. So this economic problem should be taken seriously by western governments.

[@chinguunerdenebadrakh7022]

Money doesn't buy happiness, but it sure can remove a lot of stress and sadness from life.

[@bstorm4413]

Actually being homeless, jobless in countries like the US is horrific. There is no help. You have no food, housing, medical care - you have nothing. And the people that should be helping call you lazy, worthless and basically spit on you. Instead they send their money overseas to help the poor of other countires.

[@aduse-pokukonkonkoi1307]

My respect 🙏 🙌

[@lockethomas7165]

Least of Germanys problems going for a walk in Germany these days is like going for a walk in New Delhi

[@monsieurVi]

I think you nailed it with: “The true meassure of human wealth or poverty is the happiness that a human being feels being who he is, extracting the best that life can offer him according to the context in which he lives.”

[@leftidetarg2615]

As a Greek in my mid 20s growing up in the turmoil of the financial crisis and its effects in my country and my surroundings I feel so devastated watching this. I was an Erasmus student in Germany and I love the country which I look up to.🥺 Solidarity with one another is a temporar solution in these difficult times but ofcourse things must change for the better smh. Politicians in Europe have lots of work to do to fix this problem of inequality which I think its a global phenomenon.

[@BioBioLove]

Hi Greek here too. I just wonder how could we breach the inequality between the unemployed and the employed? She literally doesn’t work. How much more money should she get? Are we talking about the universal income? This is an interesting idea, but it wouldn’t be much more than what she gets now. We cannot expect the unemployed and the employed to have the same amounts of money can we? Otherwise if we all earn the same anyway, what is the motivation to go to work? I live in Germany currently and definitely am in the middle class. Yes groceries have skyrocketed but instead of giving people money, the government need to control these prices. Maybe that is a way to improve the situation. But honestly, you cannot expect a life of luxury on benefits..

[@Evandrosab]

Politicians are self serving.. look at Eva Kaili, do you think she was worried about the inequality issue in Europe?

[@HS-wp5vb]

@@BioBioLove If you are unemployed, the social minimum a single person receives in Germany is 502 € per months plus rent (plus electricity and heating bills). It is not a comfortable life to live on 502 € per months, but when I was a student, I also had no more. I never went to bed hungry a single day. (What I did have was a perspective.) Unemployed people receive the same health care as anyone else. If you top up the social benefits and compare it to a working family of two adults with two children (with a medium income in Germany of 3,600 €, and sizable lower incomes at the bottom end of the income scale), it becomes clear that working families with two or more children can in fact be financially worse off than people relying on the social net. It is only the child welfare allowance (Kindergeld) that keeps the spread between recipients of social welfare and working class families. I think that says a lot. Also, the documentary spreads one of the conventional myths about a larger divergence in incomes in Germany. People with the highest level of wealth benefit heavily from a rise in the value of their shares in companies (Aktien). However, these price fluctuate depending on the stock exchange rates, and such fluctuations are not indicative of changes in the social setup of society. If you just compare the development of wages, medium wages went down signidficantly in the 1990s for all employees as payrises were at or below inflation rates for many years. Germany won back competitiveness and unemployment rates reduced significantly. It was tough medicine, but it worked. There is now a shortage of labour at all levels. If we discard external shocks such as the energy price-induced inflation of 2022 due to the war in Ukraine, net incomes are on the rise, also at the lower skills level. Unemployment rates are on record low even though Germany was technically on the verge of a recession in 2022. There were no mass layoffs either during the Corona pandemic or during the 2022 crisis. For most young adults in Germany, the prospects of life-long employment without prolonged periods of un- or underemployment are better than they were for the past 5 decades.

[@BioBioLove]

@@HS-wp5vb Yes. This is a real problem, than unemployed end up better off (or almost as good) as employed. It is called the poverty cycle. Where you live on benefits and you literally have no incentive to get a job. That said in Germany there is a ton of education options available to all, so if you don’t earn enough as an unskilled worker, you could always learn a new craft/trade. I agree that this video was disappointing for the DW standards due to perpetuating stereotypes and presenting only 1 view of the topic.

[@sheet-music]

politicians are on the rich side and they will, will make a gap wider

[@Abcflc]

I saw this post on Instagram stating that you either can be poor or rich in Germany, anyone in between is sucked dry and I feel this way living here. Really demoralising.

[@alina88712]

Life in Germany seems so amazing to me (my father is there and i've been there a few times for some months)(i don't want to seem ignorant). Knowing how hard it is in Eastern Europe, Germany is like heaven for people like me. We move there even for minimum wage and that is very enough for a living, being used to the lifestyle we have. The minimum wage is enough to survive, not to save up, make investments or buy expensive things.

[@alncdr]

I'm live in Poland and I work in Germany part time for minimum wage and it's almost median income in Poland. They don't even know what real hardship is compared to how much bullshit eastern Europeans have to face. I earn 50% more part time there than I did when working 170 hours here

[@yasminjaber5662]

Yes!!

[@isibor2680]

The guy from Syria has been through a lot love and light ❤

[@jedics1]

"When I have time, I have no money, when I have money I have no time" the system assures misery no matter what you do which is why setting you life up to need much less long term is an excellent solution. Free time is the most valuable thing anybody will ever own, after that your choices become much clearer...

[@sk.n.9302]

I lived & worked in Germany for 20 yrs. & now 10 yrs. in Texas. It's significantly easier to get by in Germany. Health care & university are free. My daughter (now 16) would be able to study w/out debt. The little girl in the interview can become a vet w/out her mother coming up w/ a significant amount of money.

[@abrqzx]

Same here in the Philippines, college is free

[@chiizeogu2864]

As a Nigerian, I'm so glad "Boris" is doing well in Germany...Nigerians almost always find a "way" no matter where they are.😅🎉

[@dkaoboy]

the "got rich himself" is an influencer who peddles an image and is a hustler. We have those in America as well. Very poor example of someone who "made it". Shame on DW who, out of all of Germany, couldn't find an entrepreneur, or someone who climbed the corporate ladder, made 200K+/year, and became a multimillionaire in their late 30's through hard work, savings, and prudent investing.

[@iSkyline1]

Maybe because that practically almost never happens? Also you don't become rich or even close by saving money anymore. Usually you get rich by having money in the first place or by sheer luck of opportunity. I have met far too many people who work hard and are at best middle class.

[@insertcoolnamelater9334]

Because there probably are hardly any people like this, at least not migrants from Africa.

[@jamesjohnmoss8130]

I am not sure this film truly got the message across. Nonetheless, a very strong contribution, to the current discussions, well done, and thank you .

[@art-tour]

Nobody cares about this documentary or our comments 😂. We just get rid of some steam.😤😤😤😂😂😂

[@miriamzajfman4305]

The wealth gap exists everywhere ! - not only in Germany

[@tim3440]

Of course it does. Otherwise you would have communism. If the wealth gap wouldnt exist everybody would be equally poor.

[@grmpEqweer]

The very rich aren't afraid of the working class anymore.

[@miriamzajfman4305]

@@tim3440 You do not know communism ! . I was born in Poland , I was in China . The Gap exists there as well .

[@miriamzajfman4305]

@@grmpEqweer Unless they stupid !

[@tim3440]

@@miriamzajfman4305 Exactly. Like thinking that it wouldnt would be foolish and childish. But ey, good that you recognize that.

[@cristianJoker2512]

as an outsider, i live in Germany for 8 years now but i don't want it anymore, this state just crashing you with all the taxes and at the end u just work for the state and food and that's it , not to mention the stress , i m preparing my leaving this year unfortunately

[@lugojanu]

Bine spus Cristian, mult succes in Romania !

[@cristianJoker2512]

@@lugojanu ma gândesc la Olanda , clar România iese din discuție altfel nu as fi plecat deloc

[@AnimaSomniator]

Thanks for such insightful documentary. I live in a developing country, and sometimes people here assume those from developed countries have a perfect life that don't deal with any kind of economic struggle. That said, poverty in Germany looks completely different to what someone would consider being poor here. Elke's living conditions would be desirable for the vast majority of poor people (and maybe even for not-so-poor ones) from my country. That's also an interesting contrast to see.

[@davisholman8149]

I agree - she needs to feel grateful & quit playing the victim role.

[@slayer2608]

Well I’m from the uk and my parents are from a 3rd world country Somalia. A lot of those people living in these “desirable” situations are renters so they don’t own there property and landlords can randomly evict them and kick them out so I think it’s wrong to say she’s being ungreatful. There’s a reason why there’s so many homeless in a rich country on top of that the amount of tax they have to pay and cost of items there is insane. Put it this way they’re flying so high but because there so high if they were to fall the impact would be astronomical

[@lili-sr5bi]

yes, I fully agree, her apartment looks so good.

[@oasis5683]

Since the end of WW2, the Europian have been enjoying prosperity and growth. Globalization Changes everything It's time for Africa, Asia, and Latin America to grow.

[@Eric-kn4yn]

Those countries people find it easier to migrate to Western countries where all the hard work has been done

[@aperson2730]

Very informative.

[@jonathandow684]

Thank you D.W. For a great article!

[@DWDocumentary]

Thank you! We're glad you liked the documentary. Subscribe to our channel for the latest uploads.

[@hankmoody7521]

It's simply not true, that we see a broadening in the wealth gap. The Gini index is at 31 for the last decade, similar to countries like France or Sweden. Last year, minimum wages were raised by 30% in Germany and in every decile above the first, wages grew over the last two decades. According to a study by the DIW, people with migration backgroud take up 44% low the lowest decile of households in Germany. What we indeed see, there's too much competition in low skilled labor in Germany (too much unskilled workers for less and less jobs). You can raise minimum wages, but in the end even more jobs are getting cut in Germany because productivity is not high enough for those jobs in Germany. DW please take into account the complexity of labor economics!

[@MyViiVa]

Daniyar, don’t give up!! You’re such a kind and strong person ❤

[@daniyarsulaiman6281]

thank you

[@johan_johansson_]

DW Documentary, vielen Dank wie immer 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@Stoneface_]

@MRdwdocumentary986 scammer. Not the real DW

[@christianalmaraz9889]

It's an interesting documentary. Thank you

[@neisan6149]

One thing I always think to myself when I see how much taxes I pay is that I'd rather be making less and seeing less poverty whenever I go outside than making more money and feeling horrible seeing all the people living on the streets... But seeing Elke and Daniyar's stories make me think that poverty is often not visible, and taxing the middle class heavier won't make a difference

[@coopsnz1]

Of course it won't because middle class own businesses that sell to lower class means they pay more to live

[@coopsnz1]

Middle class debt going up because of government socalism policy

[@jan-lukas]

​@@coopsnz1ah, because the government is at least trying to redistribute wealth from rich people to poorer people those poorer people have no money. That makes a lot of sense 🤦

[@genuinefreewilly5706]

tnx an informative documentary. It helps knowing you are not the only one struggling. I run and organize and volunteers for foodbank in our community. My sense as a Canadian after the pandemic the situation has become worse. Reliance on 'Foodbank friday' is unfortunately a norm. I see poverty hurting older people on fixed pensions and myself. At some point the growing divide will affect middle and upper income earners as businesses small and large will run short of consumers .

[@sneakykidugo]

I wanna help..but I'm not Canadian lol

[@JoseFerreira-zb7wh]

Inequality has grown in developed countries over the last decades an each time there is a crisis it just grows faster. I agree this is a self destructive model. If more and more people have less income, demand will suffer and then the whole economy suffers (rich included). In the last decade this was postponed with globalization letting us buy cheaper goods as they were manufactured using cheap labour, people under poor life conditions (to say the least) and through zero interest rate policies. Both seem to be coming to an end. I can't see what they'll come up with next to keep this madness going. This economic model died in 2008.

[@greatboniwanker]

Sounds very sadly familiar. Greed has been allowed to overtake the needs of humanity.

[@zhurongonmars6256]

What can you expect from capitalist society? We can be either poor or rich, thats it.

[@HaimRich94]

@@zhurongonmars6256 I'm not rich nor poor... does that mean I'm not living in a capitalist system?

[@johnl.7754]

The main problem is housing (everything else is relatively cheap) everyone wants to live in a good neighborhood in a good city but because of housing there’s not enough to go around. With one parent households with children you are competing with households with two working parents.

[@gardencity3558]

@@zhurongonmars6256 Communism delivers only poverty with power and wealth highly concentrated in the hands of a few elites! Cuba is a perfect example.

[@zeik04]

@@johnl.7754 The main problem is bad immigration

[@lightylicht4373]

Seems like Boris guy had def a good legacy from his parents, of course he can't understand how people struggle starting everything from literally 0. I know a lot of people who are hard-working and doing very well improvements. There are a lot of obstacles before you reach your goals.

[@lisamaria8063]

I’m a 28 year old german and live with my boyfriend in munich in a small old building apartment. We both work full-time (office job & warehouse clerk) the rents are so high that we cannot afford a larger, new apartment.

[@ulaula7274]

She doesn’t work and want to have the same standard of living like other people working 8 hours every day. Interesting. In other countries people, that don’t work starving to death and nobody care. We are really privileged in Europe and we should appreciate it.

[@janesmy6267]

I’m a foreigner in Germany who climbed up the career ladder and make a decent salary on a bachelor degree and baby level German. You can make it in Germany but you do have to stand out at work and provide value as well as have a lot of grit to keep going even though there will be assholes who like to criticize and step on you to make themselves feel better. There’s a simple solution to that, just outperform them. Read books. Watch educational KZbin videos. Don’t sit at home watching TV or Netflix. Educate yourself for free. Internet has lots of free material to teach yourself specialized knowledge. Most Germans i meet have an entitled mentality so they just go about their same routine and complain things aren’t changing. I‘m quite annoyed that I’m getting taxed to hell but at the same time, I understand why they don’t tax the super rich. It will scare them in leaving the country and they’re already leaving cause high taxes and the weather sucks. Germany already has a leadership talent problem so taxing the super rich will make this more problematic for growing the economy. Germany needs to digitalize its bureaucracy system to make start ups and freelancing easier to setup so more people can be self made entrepreneurs as well create more programs for the younger generation to get them interested (and not be put off by the bureaucracy). A lot of Germans feel like it’s too hard to manage already. Let’s not even talk about the over complicated tax system and endless paperwork. Germany doesn’t produce that many unicorn start up companies compared to the US. If it did, they would automatically create more jobs but they need to diversify their specialized industries and rely less on automobiles. I don’t see Germans on the forefront of electric cars, AI research and technology for example

[@majedtaleb3944]

You’re right. I’m just curious, what do you do for a living?

[@janesmy6267]

@@majedtaleb3944 I work in the tech sector but learning advanced excel is what introduced me to SQL, Python, R and big data. Once you learn how to work with data, it gets easier to advance your career to consulting, data science or software engineering. You have to constantly upgrade yourself and ask yourself are you satisfied you reached your goals or do you need to change them. I’m definitely satisfied. I don’t need to be a millionaire. Working remote with part time hours on a full time above average salary is my goal and I reached it.

[@joseph3036]

@@janesmy6267 Am pursuing the same career path as you, but landing a job has been hard despite having all the qualifications including a Master’s degree. Perhaps am searching in the wrong places.

[@janesmy6267]

@@joseph3036 you need to build your work experience and show how you impacted the organization. What did you do specifically that resulted in increased revenue. Have your former manager confirm your contributions through reference letters and everyone will invite you to job interviews

[@greywolf271]

Re: Your comment about not as many startups as the US. How many 'startups' in the US have collapsed in relation to those who made a profit without scamming investors ? I can think of a few such as VW in germany who flat out lied to bolster their environmental claim. Then I read about the Germany government burning brown-coal to boost energy supplies and shutting down nuclear generation after calling themselves an environmentally aware government. In Australia, the brown-coal power generation in Loy-Yang is being closed down for just that reason. Go Figure ! So we are kow-towing to EU environmental energy credits while Germany has free reign. It's a fucked up situation. CO2 induced global warming is turning out to be the biggest humbug in the world. At least Ponzi could be jailed..not so with scumbag scientists carrying out pseudoscience.

[@midsue]

Interesting documentary. Thanks DW-documentary for talking about this important issue.

[@DWDocumentary]

Thank you! We're glad you liked the documentary. Subscribe to our channel for the latest uploads.

[@koiyujo1543]

I'm so glad she spoke up! she deserves more! people should be inspired by her!

[@rca-in-glasgow6781]

I grew up quite poor in Colorado. That is to say my single parent mom earned an income at the national poverty level. During high school I lived in Germany for a year as an exchange student. I admired German society with its emphasis on “the greater good” and social welfare that you could count on if times got tough. I’m sorry to hear that is crumbling now. Then recently I lived in the UK for three years. It’s the same way there, rich getting richer. Poor getting poorer. And here I am still pretty much treading water in the middle. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@stanleywhittaker6623]

Ah you need piles of money these days. It’s a damn shame. If you’re poor, you’ll probably remain so unless something extraordinary happens. Being poor is shit. However, Germany sure is giving Putin too much leisure. All the stalling, on and on, too scared I guess, after killing so many, now you won’t pitch in like you should.

[@aligenc659]

that is exactly capitalism...

[@JoseFerreira-zb7wh]

It's a general trend among developed nations in the last decades. Neoliberalism is dead since 2008 but everyone seems to ignore it.

[@kingprone7846]

most americans would rather live in the usa. In the USA you can be a labourer or artisan and make a good living. in germany you cant.

[@Bulletguy07]

Its exactly the same here in my country UK as the division between wealthy and poor has become a vast chasm. At least in Germany property cost is more affordable than UK. A friend of mine who lived at Sulingen sold his house when he retired and bought a 3 bed apartment in a nearby small town for €45,000. A similar property in my area would cost at least four times that.

[@caroleyre9144]

Yes exactly…that’s what they did first in Britain they Rocketed Quadrupled the Housing Prices. Our house cost £52.5 thousand in March 1998…we had to sell up in 2016…that same house valued at £200 Thousand…we had done a lot of work in 18 years ….but not 150 Grands worth 🤯 although we lost out on 40 Grand bcs we were then forced out by these Buy to Let Landlords …turned our lovely Community of 25 years into a SLUM…so basically they forced us all out by destroying everything around them…and normal family’s could not afford the Costs in fact nobody wanted to buy a house in that area except for the Vile SLUM Landlords. This is a Targetted Attack

[@rogiervantilburg3440]

Excellent video!

[@ayoorchethan]

This is an eye opener.

[@ItzCoopzFtw]

I'll give a really good example of something here in New Zealand. Fletcher Building is one of our biggest construction groups. The average wage at Fletcher is the minimum wage of $21.20 whereas the cost of living is $23.75 and only rising. The CEO pays himself about $4 million, and gave himself a raise of 34% making him earn $6 million. This is what's wrong with the f*cking world. People who do ALL the work for said company to make it what it is get paid a pittance and can't even survive, while these others laugh and overpay their worth. This is corruption in Capitalism.

[@letthetunesflow]

A big issue that never gets talked about is people with disabilities/medical issues that have next to nothing, and little job prospects due to the minimal amount/type of work available to them, or the ability to work at all. I have much less sympathy for people who have the physical ability to work, educate themselves, and work hard to improve their financial position. People would kill for the ability to have the physical and mental health to actually improve their situation. Being born into a rich country is an absolute miracle, and puts you in a position better than 99% of the world, people have lost that appreciation. That doesn’t mean I’m not sympathetic to how much the wealthy are taking advantage of everyone! It’s just hard for me to feel to bad for people who have all the advantages in this world to improve themselves, work hard, and have world class education available to them, while those who are sick/disabled have nothing, and are physically incapable of improving their financial situation, some cannot even physically take care of their own basic needs like feeding, dressing, and bathing on their own. So I’m glad this documentary had someone in a situation where their health impacts their ability to improve their financial situation!

[@tim3440]

Ehm... Honestly I have no sympathy at all for those individuals. You already get to live of somebody else its earnings in all western nations... You will never be rich. Indeed. But honestly what exactly did you expect? Why on earth should able bodied individuals carry the burden of its sick and handicapped counterparts everytime? Normally in nature if a creature cant take care of itself in nature they die off... That the brutal but honest conclusion of the story. Why on earth should the ''able-bodied'' or the ''competent'' always be the the horse pulling the cart for the not so able bodied or incompetent? And why are the ''rich'' always the bad guys in these instances? Like honestly... We dont live in a feudal society anymore. Provide subjective value and you get rewarded by society with a good living. People who get rich are getting rich because they provide a service or a product that is subjectively worth more to people than the money they have in their pockets. Those ''rich'' people are providing subjective value to others. Start providing value. Honestly. You cant expect from everybody to just keep alive certain individuals. Of course you are poor if you cant do anything. Welcome to life.

[@bonzaibb12]

I agree because I am also disabled. I was born and raised in Southern California but could not afford to live independently anywhere in the U.S. on Social Security and had to leave the U.S. like a financial refugee over 20 years ago. I do consider myself fortunate even though I had to leave everything because at least I have Social Security that I can use in affordable countries.

[@CordeliaWagner]

There is ALWAYS someone who has it worse. But keep playing the victim hirachy game.

[@jbbeiser983]

@Tim survival of the fittest ? That's what the evolution theory has brought us as you imply how about to be compassionate and kind, helping others when in need, and I don't mean supporting those who take advantage of the system.

[@Sasha-dr4or]

@@bonzaibb12 where do you live now?

[@witoldschwenke9492]

I grew up in poverty in Germany with 3 siblings. Food was always a problem. Its a huge problem to be poor in a country where you can't even go to the city unless you can afford a car. I couldn't afford a social life. Now I'm a college student in Denmark, i have a very high workload since i need student jobs to sustain myself but at least I have money to pay for proper food. I rarely have time or energy for social life though. I am busy so much of the time that I am too exhausted to do much.

[@joe_lubinda]

Same thing in Australia! I was shocked when I moved here from Zambia (Southern Africa) and noticed many people are struggling to pay rent. I know such things are global but it was pretty odd to see people living in such conditions in so called first world countries.

[@vision103]

Can you help me to come there i am in India now

[@coopsnz1]

Because taxes to high in Australia

[@stanova3]

She could cut hair at home, or travel around, she has the skills. Many hairdressers do that. she could improve her income in heartbeat. She probably suffers with depression and that is the biggest issues. I Wish her well

[@beckypetersen2680]

The hairdresser died. Are you referring to the lady with the strange hair? I think she could start with volunteering somewhere just to get out of the house and get some social interaction--somewhere where she could walk to unless she gets free public transport.

[@DeBrasiliaan]

The hairdresser who has a daughter? It is quite difficult to be a hairdresser at home in Germany. That wouldn't be a problem in Brazil where I'm currently living; however it's a quite different story in Germany...

[@Nanamka]

It is practically illegal in Germany to be a hairdresser at home/ on the go. Very complicated rigid bureaucracy, high taxes and sanitary norms.

[@iliketheodds2575]

Many of those who have come a long way to where they are now tend to forget where they came from. This applies to anyone from all origins.

[@CordeliaWagner]

A lot of people in Germany come from North African Countries... Illegal immigrants.

[@Sasha-dr4or]

immigrants always complain. They are usually very greedy.

[@justinagrossmann3578]

Poverty is a mindset or a psychological problem... I work as a counseling psychologist, and I see many people who can not work for unclear reasons, e. g. to them every job seems hard, they can not do anything, it is a better choice to do nothing, for every suggestion they have a counterpoint... They don't have an illness that is officially making them unable to work, but they just can not find their place in any position and eventually look for financial support from family members... Also, I am from Lithuania, and I noticed that many Lithuanians go to other countries, such as Germany, and even when doing basic work still save money to bring home, while some local examples show poverty cases and unable to work meaning that money management and saving skills are also important questions.

[@miskaknapek]

thanks again for the good reporting!

[@DWDocumentary]

Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment :)