Number of over-indebted consumers in Saxony declining

The number of over-indebted consumers in Saxony has fallen slightly within a year. This is according to the "Debtor Atlas Germany 2024" presented by the credit agency Creditreform in Neuss. A total of 270,000 people were affected in the state, 7,000 fewer than in the previous year. Over-indebtedness is when consumers can no longer repay their debts over a longer period of time.

The lowest over-indebtedness rate in the state is in the Erzgebirgskreis (6.31) and the districts of Bautzen (6.44) and Sächsischer Schweiz Osterzgebirge (6.78). The state capital of Dresden has a rate of 7.51, Leipzig 9.86. Chemnitz is at the bottom of the league nationwide with 10.68. Bremerhaven has the worst rate in Germany (18.12), the best the Bavarian district of Eichstätt with just 3.5 percent.

In recent years, over-indebtedness in Germany has decreased. Nevertheless, the situation remains difficult for individual groups, according to Creditreform. According to the study, low earners are struggling with high energy and food prices. According to the study, younger people and single mothers are also affected to an above-average extent. Overall, however, men are more frequently over-indebted.

For its "Debtor Atlas", Creditreform evaluates anonymized data from official registers, online retailers and other sources. The sharp rise in over-indebtedness predicted by experts last year for 2024 therefore failed to materialize.

The head of Creditreform economic research, Patrik-Ludwig Hantzsch, sees a serious reason for this: "German consumers are insecure and fearful of the future. That's why they are holding on to their money." Purchases are often being postponed. The reasons for this are the persistently difficult economic situation, the policies of the German government, the war in Ukraine and the elections in the USA.