In Germany, women are the main breadwinners in one in ten couples

In Germany, women have a higher net income than their partners in one in ten couples. This is according to the results of the EU-SILC 2025 survey published by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on the occasion of the upcoming International Women’s Day.

In 9.9 per cent of households, the woman earns more than her husband or partner. In 55.8 per cent of cases, the man is the main breadwinner and in 34.3 per cent, the partners have approximately the same income.

The differences are more pronounced in families with children. There, women have a higher income in only 7.7 per cent of households, while men do so in 64.6 per cent. Childless couples show less inequality, with women earning more in 11.4 per cent of cases and men in 50.1 per cent. One reason for this is that mothers work part-time more often than women overall, while fathers work part-time less often.

The proportion of women as main breadwinners fell slightly from 10.5 per cent in 2021 to 9.9 per cent in 2025. At the same time, however, there was an increase in the number of couples with approximately equal incomes. The data is based on European statistics on income and living conditions.

(lud)