Child poverty in Germany

Industrialized nations are seeing an increase in children who are poor, or are under their nation's poverty line. The numbers were high even before the global recession. But now that the industrialized nation's economies are shrinking even more children will become poor.

The BBC produced a great story about Germany today, a nation where already 36% of the children are poor. As we see in the story from reporter Steve Rosenberg, children can still get needs fulfilled,. but it is usually through charity and not through employment.



The accompanying article to the above video, looks at the growing numbers of child poverty in Europe and the U.S.

The German Society for the Protection of Children is even more worried.

It warns of a "massive" increase in child poverty, once the full effects of the recession kick in.

Germany is not alone. Governments around the world appear to be losing the battle against child poverty.

In the UK, ministers have admitted it will now be "very difficult" to meet their target of halving child poverty by 2010.

In the US, which already has one of the worst child poverty rates among industrialised nations, three million more children are expected to slip below the poverty line.

Charities have been criticising the German government for not doing enough to tackle the problem.

"If we have problems with our banks, or with our car producers, the politicians come together to find a solution very quickly. They give money and credits," says Michael Kruse of Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk.

"But when I tell them we have three million children who have no future and no money, nobody comes together to help the children. I think it's the wrong priority of our society."