Increasing debt burden: More and more Austrians are living on the subsistence level!

Increasing debt burden: More and more Austrians are living on the subsistence level!

In 2024, the number of people who received debt advice in Austria rose to an alarming 61,599. This corresponds to an increase of 1.8 percent and is the highest value since 2018, as the crown reported. What is particularly worrying is the increase in clients with incomes that are at most subsistence levels. According to Clemens Mitterlehner, managing director of ASB Schuldnerberatungen GmbH, 36.2 percent of those seeking advice last year were affected by such financial hardship. The basic amount of the non-seizable subsistence minimum was 1,217 euros in 2024. This situation shows a worrying trend in how society deals with debt and existential needs.

Studies into the reasons for excessive indebtedness show complex factors. The increase in people living with an income below the subsistence level corresponds to the trend in Germany, where the subsistence level for single people was increased to 11,940 euros in 2025 Law Forum reported. Here, too, the minimum amounts differ depending on the living situation: for families, the subsistence minimum is 19,488 euros for married couples and 5,460 euros per child. This highlights the challenges many citizens face when it comes to ensuring their basic living expenses.

In summary, the situation is tense for many people because the income limits under which no one can be seized are not sufficient to secure the minimum subsistence level. The developments in the area of ​​debt advice and the legal regulations on the subsistence level reflect an urgent need to increase the financial security of citizens and to improve support for those affected.