Survey: 81 percent of Germans believe wealth is unfairly distributed

In an ARD survey, a clear majority said that wealth in Germany was not distributed fairly. Two thirds support a wealth tax.

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The distribution of wealth in Germany is perceived as unfair by 81 percent of the population, according to a survey commissioned by WDR. The majority of supporters of all parties in the Bundestag share this criticism. The feeling of injustice is particularly strong in some federal states. A majority is in favor of reintroducing wealth tax and increasing inheritance tax. While supporters of the Left, the Greens and the SPD support such tax increases, the majority of the AfD reject them. The wealth tax has not been levied since 1997 after it was declared unconstitutional.

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According to an ARD survey, the majority of Germans believe that the distribution of wealth in the country is unfair.
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81 percent of Germans feel this way
Distribution of wealth in the country as unfair. This was the result of a representative survey commissioned by WDR. To this end, Infratest dimap surveyed 2,084 people from the German-speaking population aged 16 and over nationwide in April. Only 15 percent of those surveyed expressed the view that wealth in Germany was fairly distributed.

The majority of supporters of all parties in the Bundestag criticize the distribution of wealth in Germany as unfair. According to the survey, the feeling of injustice is particularly pronounced in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia as well as in the Berlin and Brandenburg region.

According to the survey, a majority of Germans were also in favor of a return to the
Wealth tax (64 percent) and for a higher inheritance tax (61 percent). According to the study, supporters of the Left, the Greens and the SPD were particularly in favor of such tax increases. Among AfD supporters, 52 percent rejected it Wealth tax and 62 percent a higher inheritance tax.

Wealth tax has not been levied since 1997. The then government made up of the Union and FDP decided to suspend the tax after the Federal Constitutional Court declared a calculation procedure unconstitutional.