Germany: Seniors feel unheard by politicians — survey

More than three-quarters of older Germans think politicians pay too little attention to their interests, a survey by Insa for Bild am Sonntag newspaper found.

The research house polled 1,202 over 65-year-olds on their attitudes toward life and found that just 1% of them thought their needs were given too much focus in political circles.

What else does the survey tell us about seniors in Germany?

Some 74% of older Germans believe that society doesn't have enough respect for the elderly, while more than half accuse politicians of focusing on the wrong issues.

Other findings from the survey include that four in 10 senior citizens believe it is not easy to grow old in Germany.

Some 66% would prefer to grow old in their own homes.

Half of older people prefer watching public TV channels over private ones.

Two-thirds believe Germany's best chancellor was Helmut Schmidt, who was in power from 1974 to 1982.

Often excluded and lonely

The survey also found that older Germans feel excluded from wider society due to the increasing digitalization, which has led to bank branch closures, fewer travel agencies and menus for restaurants by QR code for smartphones.

As a result, 23% feel lonely sometimes, while 6% often feel lonely.

The survey for Bild am Sonntag also found that more than a third don't think their income is enough to live a good life. Around 36% of older people have a monthly household income of less than €2,000.

Edited by: Amanda Rivkin

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