Approximately 20% of the population in Germany struggle to finance a week-long vacation.
In a recent survey conducted by Germany's Statistical Office (Destatis), it was revealed that 17.4 million people in Germany could not afford a week's vacation in 2021. The survey, which asks individuals if they live in a household that could afford to go on vacation for a week, provides a snapshot of the vacation affordability across the German states.
The data shows that the percentage of people who can afford to go on a weeklong vacation varies greatly across the country. Bremen had the highest proportion of households that couldn't afford vacation, with around 35 percent of residents unable to take a week off. This is followed by Lower Saxony, where 25.7 percent of people couldn't afford to vacation for a week. Rhineland-Palatinate, Thuringia, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania all reported similar figures, with 24.8 percent, 24.2 percent, and 24 percent of their residents, respectively, unable to afford a week's vacation.
On the other hand, two-adult households without children were able to afford going on vacation most easily, with only 15 percent of people reporting living in a household that can't afford a vacation. This is also reflected in Berlin and Bavaria, where fewer than 15 percent of people reported living in households that were unable to afford a week of vacation.
However, two-parent households with three or more children also struggled, with a significant number unable to afford a weeklong holiday. Single parents found it particularly difficult to afford going on vacation, with 38 percent unable to do so.
The survey includes the possibility of staying with friends or relatives, or staying at the family's own vacation home, which could potentially lower the cost of vacation for some households.
Comparatively, countries like Switzerland do not have similar data readily available, but general travel cost overviews suggest that traveling in Germany costs around €140–€177 per day per person for a mid-range traveler. This might help infer vacation affordability in a broad sense, but it does not provide concrete regional statistics on households' ability to afford a week's vacation.
Across the EU, 27 percent of people live in households that could not afford a week's vacation, according to Eurostat. In contrast, the numbers are significantly lower in countries like the Netherlands and Sweden, where the number of people unable to afford a weeklong vacation was under 15 percent. Interestingly, Luxembourg reported the lowest percentage at only 9 percent of people unable to afford a weeklong vacation.
In Romania, nearly 60 percent of people could not afford to go on vacation, while Bulgaria and Greece reported more than 40 percent of their population living in households that could not afford a week of vacation.
For more specific data and regional breakdowns, it is recommended to consult official German statistical offices such as Destatis or social surveys by reputable organizations. These sources can provide a more detailed picture of vacation affordability across Germany in 2024.
- The affordability of personal-finance for vacations varies across Germany, with Bremen having the highest percentage of residents who cannot afford a weeklong vacation, followed by Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, Thuringia, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
- In contrast to Germany, countries like Switzerland do not have readily available data on household's ability to afford a week's vacation, but travel cost overviews suggest that daily travel costs in Germany for a mid-range traveler can range from €140 to €177 per day per person.
