Eastern women's retirement benefits amount to €357 more than their counterparts in the West.
In Germany, a significant east-west divide has emerged in the realm of pensions, with women in the eastern states receiving more on average than their counterparts in the west.
### East vs. West: A Pension Divide
In western Germany, married men without a migration background typically enjoy the highest average retirement incomes, while women, especially single women or those with migration experience, tend to have much lower retirement incomes. Conversely, eastern Germany faces a generally higher risk of low retirement incomes, particularly among women, due to structural factors such as longer unemployment periods and lower lifetime earnings.
Interestingly, the gender pension gap tends to be narrower in eastern Germany compared to the west. This is largely due to the historical employment patterns of women in the east, who have traditionally had more consistent employment and fewer career breaks, leading to higher pension entitlements.
### Factors Contributing to the Disparity
Several factors contribute to this east-west pension divide. Women in eastern Germany have historically had more stable and full employment, which is a legacy of past GDR times. Additionally, the unpaid care burden disproportionately affects women in the west, reducing their paid work participation and thus pension contributions.
Education and migration also play a role. People with lower education levels and those with migration experience, who are more prevalent in eastern Germany, tend to have lower pensions due to interrupted or lower-paid employment periods. The different economic systems and labor markets during Germany’s division have also caused structural gaps, with the western system's more market-driven economy leading to more pronounced disparities due to career interruptions and part-time work among women.
### The Numbers Speak for Themselves
The average monthly pension for women in Potsdam, the highest in the nation, stands at 1,314 euros. In contrast, the average monthly pension for women in the Rhineland-Palatinate Eifel district of Bitburg-Prüm, the lowest in the nation, is 668 euros. Nationwide, male pensioners in the Ruhr area have the highest average monthly pensions, with the Bottrop district leading at 1,686 euros.
In the west, the average monthly pension for men is 1,430 euros, while in the east, the average monthly pension for men is not less than 1,416 euros. The district of Waldshut in the Black Forest has the lowest average monthly pension for men, at 1,201 euros.
These figures reflect the broader trends of the gender pension gap in Germany, with the gap being generally wider in western Germany than in eastern Germany. The east-west divide is a complex issue influenced by differences in labor force participation, unpaid care responsibilities, educational disparities, and the socio-economic legacies of the division.
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