Social assistance spending rises 6.1% in 2025
German social assistance spending under SGB XII rose 6.1% to €21.5 billion in 2025, Destatis said on Tuesday.
Source: Federal Statistical Office Germany · August 21, 2026 at 11:00 AM · AI-assisted report
Single-sourceKUALA LUMPUR, 21 AUGUST 2026 —
German Social Assistance Spending Rises 6.1% to €21.5 Billion in 2025
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KUALA LUMPUR – German social assistance spending under the Social Security Code XII (SGB XII) increased 6.1% to €21.5 billion (RM107.5 billion) in 2025, according to data released by Destatis on Tuesday.
The rise in expenditure follows a 2.9% increase in allocations for basic income support for the elderly and disabled, which accounted for 54.9% of total social assistance spending at €11.8 billion. However, this marked the third consecutive year of declining share, down from 59.0% in 2022. Spending on nursing care assistance surged 13.3% to €6 billion, representing 27.8% of total outlays, up from 23.6% in 2022.
Meanwhile, assistance for livelihoods rose 4.4% to €1.7 billion, while health-related and other social support services received €2 billion, a 6.7% increase from 2024. Notably, monthly living allowance rates remained unchanged in 2025, ending a streak of annual increases since 2011.
The figures exclude unemployment benefits under SGB II (Bürgergeld) and integration assistance under SGB IX, which were transferred to separate frameworks in 2020.
Analysts expect continued pressure on Germany’s social welfare budget amid demographic shifts, though the stabilization of living allowance rates may ease short-term expenditure growth. Further breakdowns on federal reimbursements to states are expected in upcoming reports.