Alarming increase: Almost 100,000 Munich residents are in financial distress!

Alarming increase: Almost 100,000 Munich residents are in financial distress!

More and more Munich residents are struggling with financial difficulties. According to the current Debtor Atlas 2025 from Creditreform, 97,772 adults in the Bavarian capital are now over-indebted, which corresponds to an over-indebtedness rate of 7.82% of the adult population. This means that the number of those affected has increased by 4% compared to the previous year, which is the highest rate since 2021. The increase is not only evident in the classic hotspot districts, but also in districts that were previously less noticeable, such as Daglfing and Aubing. Tz.de summarizes the situation.

What are the reasons for this development? The causes are diverse: rising costs of living, the economic consequences of the current crisis as well as individual strokes of fate such as job losses, illnesses or separations. Many people simply feel that their expenses exceed their income, which is reflected in an alarming increase in “soft” over-indebtedness. These cases, which are characterized by inefficient household management and uncontrolled consumer spending, have increased by 11% and now affect over 46,000 Munich residents. In contrast, there was a slight decrease in “hard” over-indebtedness cases. Evening newspaper reports that the average amount of debt per person is around 44,000 euros.

Special groups in need

Single parents, especially women, are particularly affected, a significant proportion of whom are in the over-indebted group. Around 30-40% of over-indebted women are single parents. The debtor rate for men is 9.87% and for women it is 5.14%. There is also a worrying trend among younger adults (under 30 years of age), whose over-indebtedness rate has risen to 6.15%. The Am Hart district has the highest level of over-indebtedness in this age group at almost 10%.

The statistics on over-indebtedness in the city also show that a particularly large number of over-indebted people live in Neuhausen (3954) as well as Moosach (3769) and Sendling-West (3671). In contrast, districts like Daglfing have comparatively low values ​​with only 214 over-indebted people. One thing is clear, however: the pressure on Munich's citizens is increasing, and support is urgently needed for those affected.

Help and advice

In a year that already brought with it many challenges, there were over 20,300 requests for debt advice. Over 4,000 people are in long-term consultations. The head of debt counseling, Mark Wichlajew, emphasizes how important it is to seek help early on, before financial hardship leads to an unmanageable situation.

For many Munich residents, the advice to get support in a timely manner could be the key to returning to a more financially stable life. The reasons why people fall into debt are often not only due to personal decisions, but also to external circumstances that are becoming more and more present these days. Iff Hamburg has shown in a report that a significant number of cases of over-indebtedness can be traced back to events that are difficult for those affected to influence.

In view of this situation, it is to be hoped that targeted measures will be introduced to support the over-indebted people of Munich. The challenges are enormous, and it is up to all of us to improve financial education and support for those who need it.