middle layer want to belong to the majority of people in Germany, not only the CDU-politician Friedrich Merz. How big is the middle class is and who belongs to it, is defined in the Economy, particularly on disposable income. Accordingly, all households belong to the middle class, whose monthly income is in a certain corridor around the median income. For a single household, this Median is just under 1,400 euros per month, for three people there are around 3,400 euros. With all the government transfer payments – such as child benefit, housing benefit, Hartz-IV-services – and all the income from existing assets, for example rental income or share are attributed to.

There are close and further definitions of the middle class: The Federal government has in its report on poverty and wealth, for example, a rather wide selected. For all the households to the middle class, have a minimum of 60 percent and maximum 200 percent of the median income. For our graph, we have oriented ourselves at the German Institute for economic research (DIW), and a slightly narrower corridor of 70 to 150 percent of the median income chosen. Accordingly, around half of the households belongs to the middle class.

The underlying data come from the microcensus 2017. To be able to the Numbers in the correct Format, it was estimated, a part of the income from the Federal Statistical office. In addition, we have distinguished according to the size of the household, in order to make the income more comparable. As a Single, with a net monthly income of 2,500 euros to a well-paid minority, compared with other Single households. Together life of three people, with 2,500 euros to the lower third of all three-person households.