Sixty-five years after the arrival of the first Turkish guest workers in Germany, many members of this pioneering generation are facing severe poverty, health challenges, and loneliness in their retirement years. While politicians have commemorated the courage and economic contributions of these migrants at Düsseldorf Airport, experts warn that systemic disadvantages have left older Turkish residents struggling financially.
Pensions and Old-Age Poverty
Data from Germany’s pension insurance fund (DRV) analyzed for the Mediendienst Integration service reveals that pensioners holding Turkish citizenship receive an average monthly pension of about €890, which is €360 lower than the average German pension of €1,250. Furthermore, data from June 2026 shows that retirees with Turkish citizenship rely on top-up welfare benefits at a rate of 9.3%, more than three times the 2.7% rate for German retirees.
According to social scientist Eric Seils of the Hans Böckler Foundation, as reported by Deutsche Welle, many Turkish workers arrived in the middle of their working lives and experienced shorter contribution periods. Seils explained to Deutsche Welle that lower lifetime wages, employment gaps, and an early concentration in low-wage industrial or construction sectors—spurred by lower initial education levels—fundamentally drove down their retirement benefits. Job losses during the oil crisis and early 1970s deindustrialization further disrupted their employment histories.
Discrimination and Hard Physical Labor
Integration expert Haci-Halil Uslucan told Deutsche Welle that despite notable success stories in education and politics among younger generations, people of Turkish descent still encounter widespread discrimination in Germany. Uslucan noted that old-age poverty among migrants stands at 25% to 30%, which is double the rate for Germans at 12% to 14%. He added that early retirement and disability rates are significantly higher within this group due to decades of grueling physical labor, and migrants are twice as likely to face unemployment a decade before reaching retirement age.
Janina Söhn of the Institute for Sociological Research (SOFI) at Göttingen University pointed out that nearly one-third of immigrants face poverty risks, with single female migrants experiencing particularly dire conditions. Figures from Germany’s Federal Employment Agency show that retired Turkish individuals have an employment rate of just 5.2%, roughly half the 10.8% rate for retired Germans, largely due to a lack of qualifications and physical ailments stemming from past labor. Söhn told Deutsche Welle that the guest workers who performed essential, difficult jobs ultimately paid for it with their health.
This article was originally written in German.
