Differences: poor communities, rich communities

This view of the Alps near Starnberg is expensive. Germany is divided into 401 districts and independent cities, which differ significantly, especially with regard to the income of the citizens. The average disposable income per capita reached 42,275 euros in the city of Heilbronn and 38,509 euros in the wealthy district of Starnberg. In Gelsenkirchen and Duisburg, on the other hand, people have less than half as much money at their disposal.

The income gap from west to east has not disappeared even more than three decades after reunification. In the new Länder there is only one district, the district of Potsdam-Mittelmark, where the per capita income exceeds the average for the whole of the Federal Republic. In the old Länder there is also a south-north divide. On average, per capita income in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg is about 2,600 euros higher than in the rest of western Germany.

In some smaller towns or rural areas with very high incomes, a rather smaller number of very rich households influence the statistics. Public services and redistribution through taxes, social security contributions and transfer payments help to prevent living conditions in Germany from drifting even further apart. In a regional comparison, factors such as the respective incomes and the age structure play an important role. This is shown in a new study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (WSI) of the Hans Böckler Foundation.

In the vast majority of cities and districts, there is a redistribution balance from which not only transfers but also public services, public infrastructure, education, the police, the armed forces or social benefits in kind are financed.

According to the study, different price levels in the regions additionally contribute to an equalisation of incomes. This is because rents and prices tend to be higher in regions with high incomes. "People then have more money in their wallets, but they cannot afford more to the same extent," explains WSI scientist Pusch.

(Photo: © Luke 86, Pixabay)