The Gini Coefficient – A Measure of Socioeconomic Equality

The Gini coefficient helps identify social inequality: It measures the distribution of income and wealth – from perfect equality (0) to extreme concentration in the hands of one person (100).

In a European comparison, Germany ranks in the middle: less unequal than Bulgaria but far from Slovakia, which is considered a global role model for equality. However, issues like old-age poverty could further worsen Germany’s Gini score. Around 19.6% of retirees are already classified as poor – a trend that urgently calls for solutions.