More than eight in ten eligible children and teenagers in Germany do not receive a monthly 15-euro social participation benefit designed to fund sports, cultural activities and social engagement, according to data released Monday.
Uptake varies sharply by region. Schleswig-Holstein leads the country, with 59 percent of eligible children aged 6 to 14 claiming the payment, while in Thuringia only 10.3 percent of that age group receive it, falling to 4.8 percent among 15- to 17-year-olds. Berlin, Hamburg and Rhineland-Palatinate reach roughly one in ten entitled youths. North Rhine-Westphalia records broader use of education-related aid, with over 80 percent of younger eligible children receiving school-supplies funding. In Bavaria, uptake remains below the national average across age groups.
Nationwide, about 18 percent of eligible 6- to 14-year-olds and 12 percent of 15- to 17-year-olds draw the participation payment.