In view of the summer holidays that are at the gates of Germany, Spiegel writes about the economic situation of households that makes it impossible to holiday for one fifth of Germans.
The publication notes: «To the question where to go holiday, many people respond: "Holidays? With what money?". This applies to about a fifth of the people in the country: 21% says it does not have the financial capacity to take a week's vacation, according to the Federal Statistical Office. This applies mainly to individuals living alone and single-parent families. By comparison, the EU average is significantly higher, with 28% of the population stating that it cannot afford a week's vacation».
According to the German instrument, «"If there is enough money for vacation depends largely on income," explains the Statistical Office. Among the lowest income of a fifth of the population, with an income of about 1,600 euros a month, nearly half (48%) said they did not have the financial opportunity to take a week's vacation. For the next fifth, with a monthly income of up to 2,100 euros, the rate was 28%.
Particularly vulnerable are single-parent families
According to statistics, individuals living alone are particularly affected – 29% of them said they were unable to afford a week's vacation. In single-parent households, this percentage reaches 39%.
The results come from the European Union statistics on income and living conditions – the results for 2025 are based on a prediction from the 2022 survey».
«According to statistics, there are significant differences between EU countries: Romanian residents (61%), Greece (47%), Bulgaria and Hungary (39%) said they do not have the financial opportunity to holiday. The inhabitants of Luxembourg (11%), Sweden (12%) and the Netherlands (13%) are best placed.», concludes the report.
Source: DW
