Status: 24.10.2023, 17:12 PM
By: Anna Heyers
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Do you occasionally wonder if you are rich or poor? A calculation by the German Economic Institute shows from which net income you belong to what.
What is wealth for you? Some probably have Scrooge Duck's huge money store in mind, others yachts in small bays or very fine designer outfits - and of course an account with at least a six-digit number. But in Germany, you need much less to be considered rich.
Wealth: at what net level does one belong to the rich?
When you hear the word wealth, some people probably have Scrooge Duck from Duckburg (see photo) in mind, swimming in his money vault. But at what net salary do you actually belong to the rich class? © Dorit Kerlekin/Imago
Such a clear boundary between rich and poor only exists to a limited extent. For example, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs describes as rich a person who earns three times as much per month as the net median of the German population. According to the Absolventa job board, this is currently around 2,600 euros (as of 2022), so three times that would be 7,800 euros.
And according to the German Economic Institute, you are considered rich if you have an income that is in the top ten percent – i.e. 90 percent of the population has less money at their disposal.
Salaries compared: When is a single person considered rich?
Wealth researcher Wolfgang Lauterbach describes people with a double net median as wealthy (approx. 5,200 euros): "Doctors or a teacher couple, for example, are wealthy if both are civil servants. These people have more than you need for a medium standard of living, but they are not rich." Lauterbach also explained to Die Zeit that one can roughly say "that someone is rich if he earns three times the average income." But there would be no upper limit.
To get a better idea of this, here is an overview of the incomes of singles in comparison:
| Net income in euros | Number of other singles who are richer, as a percentage |
|---|---|
| 1.000 | 82 |
| 2.000 | 43 |
| 3.000 | 15 |
| 4.000 | 6 |
| 5.000 | 3 |
| 6.000 | 2 |
| 7.000 | 1 |
With a net income of 3,000 euros per month, you are among the top 15 percent of the population in terms of earnings (wealthy). 85 percent of people in Germany earn less. With about 3,500 euros a month, you would belong to the top nine percent and thus be considered rich – at least according to the German Economic Institute.
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Salaries in comparison: When is a couple considered rich – without children?
| Net income in euros | Number of other couples who are richer as a percentage |
|---|---|
| 2.000 | 91 |
| 3.000 | 66 |
| 4.000 | 42 |
| 5.000 | 24 |
| 6.000 | 14 |
| 7.000 | 8 |
| 8.000 | 5 |
As a couple without children, you belong to the top 6 percent of the population (wealthy) with a joint net income of 000,14 euros per month, with 1,000 euros more you would be considered rich.
Salaries in comparison: When is a couple considered rich – with two children?
| Net income in euros | Number of other couples who are richer as a percentage |
|---|---|
| 3.000 | 82 |
| 4.000 | 62 |
| 5.000 | 40 |
| 6.000 | 24 |
| 7.000 | 14 |
| 8.000 | 9 |
| 9.000 | 7 |
As a couple with two children, you belong to the top 7 percent of the population (wealthy) with a combined net income of 000,14 euros per month, with 1,000 euros more you would be considered rich.
Incidentally, wealth researcher Lauterbach knows at what income one is considered wealthy or rich. For him, it is a luxury when someone no longer needs to work. But that's not for everyone, says Lauterbach: "Many people get sick when they can no longer work, because they then lack meaning in life."