Overview
- IT.NRW reports that nearly 2 million residents received minimum benefits at end-2024, with more than 1.55 million on Bürgergeld after a year-over-year decline of about 6,000.
- Basic security in old age or due to reduced earning capacity rose further to roughly 321,000 statewide, with Duisburg hitting a new high of 10,245 after eight consecutive annual increases.
- Asylum-seeker benefit rolls fell by about 15,100 to 88,555 across NRW, and Duisburg counted just 1,130 recipients, its lowest level since 2012.
- Duisburg’s dependence eased to 16.8%—84,202 people including 71,734 on Bürgergeld—with stark disparities as 35% of foreign nationals relied on benefits versus 11.1% of Germans.
- The federal coalition plans to rename Bürgergeld to Grundsicherung and impose stricter cooperation duties with tougher sanctions for repeated missed Jobcenter appointments.