New official figures show that more than half a million people in Germany were receiving benefits under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act at the end of 2023 – eight percent more than the previous year.
The number of asylum seekers receiving benefits from the German state continues to grow, official figures show.
As of the end of last year, 522,700 people were receiving standard benefits under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act, Germany's Federal Statistics Office revealed on Thursday (October 10). This figure corresponds to an eight-percent increase in the number of benefit recipients compared with 2022.
The figures also showed that:
- two thirds of benefit recipients were male, over a quarter minors;
- the most common countries of origin were Syria and Turkey (15 percent each), followed by Afghanistan (11 percent) and Iraq (8 percent);
- 27,500 recipients, or 5 percent of all recipients, were Ukrainian nationals (Germany hosts more than one million Ukrainian refugees);
- from 2021 to 2022, benefits increased by 22 percent;
- around 275,000 people were receiving special benefits last year, which can be granted in special need situations such as illness, pregnancy and childbirth;
- some 13,000 beneficiaries were only entitled to special benefits.
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Fewer benefits in 2025
In Germany, asylum seekers and refugees with a residence permit are entitled to standard benefits, which include basic benefits to cover personal necessities. However, these are significantly below the level of the citizen's allowance (around 18 percent).
The standard rate for single people under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act is currently 460 euros, and 413 euros per month if they are accommodated in collective accommodation. Earlier this year, federal and state governments agreed to pay out the majority of benefits via a payment card (Bezahlkarte), with cash only being paid out to a very limited extent.
Last month, Germany's Finance Minister Christian Lindner said he will be reducing the amount of welfare benefits asylum seekers receive from the start of next year by between 13 and 19 euros a month, depending on people's personal circumstances and how many dependents they may have or not.
According to the central foreigner's register (Ausländerzentralregister), around 3.5 million refugees and asylum seekers are currently living in Germany. The number includes all those who have applied for humanitarian protection in Germany, irrespective of their residency permits or right to remain.
with dpa