Ungleiche Teilhabe : Marginalisierte Arme – verunsicherte Mitte. WSI-Verteilungsbericht 2024

Every German citizen has at least minimal opportunities for social participation, de jure. De facto, the opportunities for participation in mainstream society are highly unequal. It is the aim of this report to show where material and political participation are endangered in the lower half of the income distribution. The authors’ results emphasize: While material participation is severely restricted primarily for the poor, precarious political participation extends into the lower middle of the income distribution. In the bottom half of the income distribution, some feel alienated from the political system and tend to turn their backs on democracy. At the same time, worries about individual economic future are widespread in this income bracket. Participation becoming brittle among one half of the population has consequences for society as a whole, including the overall stability of the political system. Combating these trends and fostering participation among persons in the lower half of the income distribution are among the most important challenges of our time.