UN Special Rapporteur Flags Deep Inequality in Germany, Urges Berlin to Act
A new United Nations report is putting Germany’s social and economic divides under a harsh spotlight, warning that the government has not done enough to close them.
The assessment by UN Special Rapporteur Surya Deva points to persistent inequality affecting people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees and women. Deva is expected to present the findings to the UN Human Rights Council.
“Economic inequality is a major problem in Germany,” Deva writes. “Since 2010, income and wealth inequality have increased, contributing to social insecurity, particularly among the lower middle class.”
The report says the burden falls unevenly across German society. Women, children, immigrants, East Germans, residents of the Ruhr region and people with disabilities are among those most affected.
A call for bolder spending and taxation
Deva calls for more funding for affordable childcare, women’s shelters and the modernization of outdated infrastructure. He also proposes making the wealthy pay more through inheritance tax.
The report does offer praise: it singles out the government’s €500 billion ($580 billion) special fund for infrastructure and climate neutrality as a positive step. Still, the findings suggest that Germany’s broader policy mix is not yet keeping pace with the scale of the problem.
One of the sharpest concerns is the gender pay gap. Women in Germany earn on average 16% less than men, Deva notes—a gap that is not only wide, but wider than in almost all other Western industrialized nations.
The special rapporteur also raises alarms about human rights rules. He is concerned that Germany has supported efforts to dilute mandatory human rights due diligence regulations at both the national and European Union levels, amid intense business lobbying.
The report further examines German development aid. Germany has often been praised for providing exemplary assistance during crises abroad, yet the federal government is currently cutting funding—a move that could weaken its international standing and leave partner countries more vulnerable.
For Berlin, the report adds pressure at a time when fiscal choices are already politically charged. How Germany responds—whether through tax policy, childcare investment or stronger corporate accountability—will shape not only its own social cohesion but also its credibility on human rights abroad.