For people in Germany, purchasing power is likely to remain about as strong in 2024 as it was in the previous year. It will be 27,848 euros per capita, as the GfK market researchers predicted on Wednesday. This corresponds to an increase of 2.8 percent or 767 euros. “This means that the increase in purchasing power would at least be able to compensate for the inflation of 2.7 percent currently forecast by the Bundesbank,” said GfK expert Filip Vojtech. “Due to the political uncertainties, consumer spending continues to be subdued and Germans will probably save more money again this year.” Overall, the researchers predict a purchasing power of around 2.35 trillion euros this year. Purchasing power refers to the population’s available net income, including state transfer payments such as pensions, unemployment benefits and child benefits. It remains very unevenly distributed regionally.
In Bavaria it has been the highest for years: 30,130 euros per capita are available to Bavarians for spending and saving. That is a good eight percent above the national average. Baden-Württemberg once again takes second place with 29,675 euros, which is 18 euros more than the third-placed Hamburg. Hesse follows with 28,613 euros per capita. Bremen comes last: residents there have an average of 24,702 euros at their disposal, which is just over eleven percent below the national average. The level is also comparatively low in Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Starnberg in Bavaria remains the richest district. The per capita purchasing power there is 38,702 euros, 39 percent above the national average. This means that the people of Starnberg have 1,157 euros more than the residents of the second-placed district of Munich. The capital Berlin is around 5 percent below the German average, Düsseldorf 15 percent above, Munich even just under 29. As in previous years, the city district of Gelsenkirchen is at the bottom of the purchasing power comparison. With a per capita purchasing power of 22,007 euros, residents there have 21 percent less available for spending and saving than the average German.