Overview

• A Moses Mendelssohn Institut analysis puts average student housing costs at €505 at the start of the winter semester, up 2.4% from summer and 3.3% year on year.
• Costs vary sharply by region, with Berlin (€650), Hamburg (€620) and Bavaria (€603) highest versus Saxony-Anhalt (€350), Thuringia (€362) and Saxony (€377) lowest.
• In 70 of 88 university locations, average rents exceed the €380 BAföG housing allowance, highlighting a growing gap for roughly 2.86 million students.
• Researchers and student groups warn of a social-selection effect tied to family income and urge a BAföG increase alongside faster expansion of the Junges Wohnen program.
• WG-Gesucht data show WG-room prices up about 21% since 2020, outpacing general living costs, while pledged policy changes have not yet delivered broad relief.