At the end of 2025, roughly 1.3 million households across Germany received housing benefit (Wohngeld) — 7.2% more than a year earlier. As reported by Tagesschau citing the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), this represents the highest level since data collection began in 2005.
- Wohngeld recipients accounted for 3.2% of all private households in Germany at the end of 2025.
- The average monthly Wohngeld entitlement per household reached €296 — an increase of 3.1% compared to late 2024.
- Public expenditure reached approximately €4.99 billion as of year-end 2025, up 6.4% year-on-year.
Entitlement Amounts and Public Expenditure
According to Tagesschau, the increase reflects the statutory regular adjustment of Wohngeld entitlements to broader changes in living costs and rent levels. This adjustment also raised the average monthly benefit amount to which eligible households were entitled.
The reported state expenditure of approximately €4.99 billion is the highest in more than 20 years. Funding for Wohngeld is split equally between the federal government and the federal states.
Recipient Demographics and Regional Differences
According to Destatis data cited by Tagesschau, a pensioner was the primary income earner in approximately half of all recipient households at the end of 2025. Among these pensioners, 85% lived alone. In 39% of recipient households, children and young adults under the age of 25 were present.
The share of households receiving Wohngeld relative to all households in a given federal state was highest in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and lowest in Bavaria:
| Federal State | Share of Households Receiving Wohngeld |
|---|---|
| Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 5.8% |
| Bavaria | 1.9% |
Data source: Federal Statistical Office as cited by Tagesschau; figures as of year-end 2025. Proportions calculated against all households in the respective state.
Year-on-year recipient household growth also varied: according to the statistical office, the highest increase was registered in Schleswig-Holstein (+12.9%), while Berlin recorded the lowest growth (+1.7%).
Planned Reform Measures
According to Tagesschau, the federal government is drafting reforms to curb public expenditure on Wohngeld. The outlet reports that if the planned measures take effect, approximately one-third of current recipient households could potentially lose their benefit entitlement.
Specific statutory mechanisms and implementation timelines were not detailed in the report.