Debtor Atlas: The number of over-indebted people in Saarland is increasing

The proportion of over-indebted people in Saarland has increased: by 0.48 points to 12.39 percent.

Around 110,000 Saarlanders - around 4,000 more than in the previous year - are therefore unable to pay their due payment liabilities in the foreseeable future. This emerges from the new debtor atlas presented by the credit agency Creditreform.

Nationwide the rate is 10.58 percent (previous year 10.16 percent). Saarland is in fifth place in the rankings after Bremen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony-Anhalt and Berlin. The Saarbrücken regional association has the highest rate in Saarland at 16.75 percent; at 40 percent, over-indebtedness is highest in the Malstatt district. The district of St. Wendel performed best with 7.81 percent.

High living and energy costs

Creditreform cites the persistently high cost of living, energy and housing costs as well as rising social security contributions and loan interest rates as the main reasons for the increased over-indebtedness. In addition, there is a tense labor market situation, job cuts and increasing unemployment. At the same time, consumer spending would again be financed more frequently through loans. Necessary replacement purchases and repairs also represented additional burdens.

For Saarland, Creditreform, based in Saarbrücken, points out that there were more bankruptcies than in the previous year. However, the momentum is weakening when it comes to consumer bankruptcies.

The credit agency nationwide does not see any improvement in the future, on the contrary: unemployment, loss of income, rising fixed costs and credit-financed consumption could further increase over-indebtedness in the next twelve months.