Accounting for Pension Wealth, the Missing Rich and Under-Coverage: A Comprehensive Wealth Distribution for Germany

Abstract

This study constructs a comprehensive wealth distribution for Germany to inform debate in Germany and internationally on the distribution of wealth including pension entitlements. We estimate the net present value of pension wealth in Germany in 2012 and 2017 using Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) data. When including pension wealth, German households’ wealth-income ratio increases from 570% to 850% in 2017; the wealth share of the bottom 50% increases from 2% to 9%; and the wealth share of the top 1% declines from 30% to 20%.