Soziale Mobilität nimmt weiter ab. WSI-Verteilungsbericht 2016

Income distribution in Germany is increasingly solidifying. The annual WSI report on the distribution of income and wealth gives evidence that poverty and wealth are becoming increasingly permanent. The report analyses how income mobility has developed in western and eastern Germany since the early 1990s. The data shows that over recent decades, mobility between income classes has been declining markedly and this especially in eastern Germany. The wealthy can be increasingly sure that their high-level living conditions are going to last, whereas for those who are poor it is becoming increasingly difficult to overcome the deficits in their situation. Consequently, an increasing number of persons are being pushed to the margins of society. This development calls for a reinforcement of social mobility. Germany needs more redistribution through taxes and transfers and measures that are aimed at reducing long-term unemployment figures. The most urgent measure, however, is to decrease inequalities in the educational system.