Erbschaften: 95 Prozent des vererbten Vermögens entfällt auf Westdeutschland

In 2025, nearly 95 percent of inherited wealth in Germany flowed to West Germany, according to the Federal Statistical Office. The western region received 142.5 billion euros, or 95 percent of the total value of taxable inheritances and gifts that year. In contrast, the eastern states and Berlin only received eight billion euros from such transfers.

Despite comprising nearly 19 percent of the population in 2025, the eastern region accounted for only five percent of taxable transfers. On average, each inhabitant in the west received about 2100 euros in inheritances and gifts, while each person in the east received roughly half that amount, about 500 euros. This disparity is also evident in the tax rates applied.

Of the total 21.4 billion euros in inheritance and gift taxes, 20.4 billion euros were collected from the west, and a billion euros from the east. However, the figures do not account for all transfers, as most inheritances and gifts fall within personal exemptions and are not included in the statistics. The inheritance and gift tax is a state tax, and the significant differences between the east and west are also influencing current pension debates.

Several state premiers in eastern Germany are advocating for the retention of tax-free pensions for those with 45 years of contributions, citing the infrequency of inheritance in the east and its limited ability to supplement pensions. For many retirees in eastern Germany, the state pension is their sole financial resource in old age.

The Pension Commission had previously pushed for the abolition of the pension at age 63, but the push for tax-free pensions in the east highlights the stark economic divide between east and west in Germany.