Summer vacation unaffordable: families and young people suffer!

Summer vacation unaffordable: families and young people suffer!

More and more people in Germany are having difficulty affording summer vacations or leisure activities. A survey by the Social Association of Germany (SoVD) from June 2025 shows that many working people have to save on vacation and more than a third say that a vacation is not financially possible for them. These figures make it clear how much the high costs of leisure activities and recreation burden citizens. According to an investigation by the Mercury Families and young adults in particular find the prices for summer vacations to be too high.

Michaela Engelmeier, chairwoman of the SoVD, expresses concern about the growing financial burdens on many groups in society. “Recreation and social participation are becoming a luxury for many,” she warns. The current survey shows that almost 40 percent of young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 have difficulty affording a vacation. This is particularly worrying as the crises of recent years, including the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and inflation, have left deep scars.

Financial burdens on families

Over 20 percent of parents of children up to the age of 18 report that they have difficulty financing leisure activities such as visiting a swimming pool, zoo or cinema. Even everyday pleasures, such as visiting an ice cream parlor, have become more expensive. Official statistics show that around one in five children in Germany lives in poverty. This increases the feeling of exclusion and endangers social cohesion.

The ADAC tourism study for 2025 underlines this trend: 24 percent of those surveyed say that they have less money available for vacation this year than last year. People with low levels of education are particularly affected. Over 70 percent of people with or without a secondary school diploma report that it is difficult for them to afford vacation. But even well-educated people, around one in four people with a high school diploma, are not immune to financial difficulties.

Demands for relief

In order to improve the situation, the SoVD is calling for targeted relief for people with small and medium incomes. Engelmeier appeals for necessary investments in social infrastructure and affordable, barrier-free living space. A poverty-proof minimum wage and higher collective bargaining are required so that basic needs as well as leisure and educational offerings remain affordable for everyone.

The results of the survey are an urgent call for politicians to take action. The rising costs of leisure activities and holidays must be urgently addressed in order not to further endanger social cohesion in society. The SoVD wants cultural, leisure and educational offerings to be accessible and affordable for everyone, so that everyone has the opportunity to relax and take part in social life. Further information is available on the website SoVD available.