From the perspective of many people, holidays are now a luxury that has become too expensive for them. Because more than one in five people in Germany cannot afford to go on vacation for a week a year. 21.9 percent of people in Germany did not have enough money for a one-week holiday trip in 2022, according to Eurostat data. The left-wing faction had asked the Statistics Office of the European Union for the numbers, and the editorial network Germany (RND) had first reported on them.

It is particularly difficult for single people with children: According to the data, 42 percent of single parents do not have enough income for a week's vacation. Households with two adults and no dependent children are most likely to be able to afford the holiday.

Left parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch called the numbers a "sad finding". "These figures show how deeply Germany is socially divided," Bartsch told RND. "Everyone should have the opportunity to go on vacation for at least one week a year." This requires higher wages, adequate pensions, a consistent anti-inflation policy and a poverty-proof basic child security system in Germany.

The numbers have fluctuated quite a bit in recent years. Compared to 2021, there was a slight increase in those unable to afford vacations. At that time the proportion was 19.9 percent, so it was almost one in five. The number was significantly lower in the years 2017 (15.3 percent) to 2019 (12.8 percent). In 2011, almost one in four (22.8 percent) could not afford a one-week holiday trip.

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