Germany Is A Very Wealthy Country But Its Wealth Is Unequally Distributed

The average household wealth in Germany is much higher than median household wealth.  Moreover, the ratio between average and median household wealth is higher in Germany than in other eurozone countries.  That means that German household wealth is more unequally distributed than it is in other countries.  Average household wealth in Germany is higher than median household wealth because the median is a less distorted by distribution extremes than the average.  For example, if Bill Gates walked into a room the average wealth would increase dramatically.  Median wealth would hardly change at all.  Another reason for the low household wealth data in Germany is that home ownership is the largest source of wealth for most households.  Home ownership in Germany is less common than it is in most other eurozone countries.   Germans have much higher median incomes than households in other eurozone countries but real estate wealth is also less equally distributed in Germany. The median household in Italy and Spain is land rich and income poor.  The unemployment rate is also much higher in Italy and in Spain.  Germans are much better off than than those in other eurozone countries.  That does not mean that they should relish the idea of bailing out the banks in those countries, and the governments that are in financial trouble.  They should do so only if they believe that protecting the euro is in their interest.  That is a tough calculation to make.