Everyone pays that much in taxes and duties in their lifetime

Berlin The German state is a big redistribution machine. Considerable sums of money are transferred from high earners to less well-to-do people via income tax.

However, the citizens also get a lot in return: good health insurance, free training or a statutory pension.

In a new study, the Institute of German Economics (IW) has determined at what age a citizen pays how much in taxes and duties and when he receives which state benefits and in what amount. The study clearly illustrates the principle of the welfare state.

This is best illustrated in this interactive graphic. Each user can use a slider to select different characteristics that suit him: male or female, East or West German, poor or rich, city dweller or country dweller. Based on these characteristics, everyone can then see when in their life they pay how much in taxes and duties to the state and when they get what.