According to a study by the German Center for Integration and Migration Research, those exposed to racist discrimination are at significantly increased risk of poverty in Germany. As the results of the study show, this also applies if those affected by racism have a high level of education and employment.
Although full-time workers are less likely to live below the poverty line, “there are still clear differences between racially marked and non-racially marked people,” the researchers note.
The risk of poverty is particularly high among Muslim men and black women
While the risk of poverty for full-time working German men and women without a migration background is each five percent, the chance of being affected by poverty is significantly higher for Muslim men with a full-time job: 21 percent.
Black women with full-time jobs are at a very high risk of poverty at 22 percent.
Even with the same level of education, immigrants earn less
For people with a migrant background born in Germany who completed their education in Germany, the risk of poverty is lower than for immigrants who acquired their qualifications abroad.
However, the chances of a good income for this group are also smaller than for Germans without a migration history with comparable educational qualifications.
High risk of poverty for refugees from Syria and Afghanistan
According to the institute, the research is based on a study by the National Discrimination and Racism Monitor, for which around 13,000 people have been regularly questioned since 2022. The representative online survey is intended to provide insight into the attitudes and experiences of different population groups.
For the analyses, survey participants were asked whether they felt they belonged to any of these groups: black people, Asians, Muslims. According to the study authors, the risk of poverty is particularly high among refugees from Syria and Afghanistan who have come to Germany since 2013.