Oct 03, 2026 09:00:00

A study found that elderly people raised in socialist East Germany have better cognitive function than those raised in West Germany.

After World War II, Germany was divided into

the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) , and was reunified in 1990 when East Germany was incorporated into West Germany. New research has found that elderly people born and raised in East Germany during the socialist era before German reunification have better cognitive function and slower decline in mental function than elderly people raised in West Germany.

Is There a Cognitive Footprint of Political Systems? The Case of Separation and Reunification of East and West Germany and Its Association With Later Life Cognitive Health - Ariane Bertogg, Jeffrey E. Stokes, 2026
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01640275251383810

How growing up in East Germany affected cognitive health in later life
https://www.psypost.org/how-growing-up-in-east-germany-affected-cognitive-health-in-later-life/

After World War II, Germany was divided into two countries with completely different political and economic systems. One was East Germany, established in the Soviet-occupied territory and operated as a socialist state based on a planned economy, while the other was West Germany, established in the non-Soviet-occupied territory and operated as a capitalist democratic state.

The two countries were reunified in 1990 and integrated into a single legal system and economic system, but the effects continue in various ways to this day. Previous research has consistently shown that former East Germans had worse physical health and shorter life expectancies compared to former West Germans.

This time, a research team at the University of Konstanz in Germany investigated how differences in the political systems of East and West Germany affect age-related brain changes. Regarding the cognitive function of elderly people raised in East and West Germany, there are apparently two conflicting hypotheses: 'Elderly people raised in West Germany, where economic conditions and nutritional status were better and there was more freedom for citizens, have higher cognitive function,' and 'Elderly people raised in East Germany, where the state-funded education system was more robust, have higher cognitive function.'

In West Germany, compulsory education lasted 8 to 9 years, while in East Germany, it was a longer 10 years. Furthermore, early childhood education was universally provided in East Germany, and there was less social division within the school system. Early childhood education is said to cultivate cognitive reserve, which compensates for age-related cognitive decline.

The research team conducted a survey of 5,231 elderly individuals who lived in East or West Germany in 1989. Participants were interviewed multiple times over an average of four years, and also underwent four standardized tests used to assess brain health and predict dementia: immediate memory, verbal fluency, spatial awareness, and numerical processing ability.

The analysis used a statistical model to map changes in the subjects' cognitive function, and also adjusted for factors such as early childhood health, household income, and overall educational level. Questionnaires were also used to gather information on how the subjects compared to other children in terms of math and language abilities, as well as the number of books they had at home during their childhood.

The analysis revealed that people who lived in East Germany before German reunification performed better than those from West Germany on all four cognitive tests. Furthermore, they experienced a slower rate of age-related cognitive decline.

This result is unusual, as groups with poor physical health and shorter life expectancies typically tend to experience a faster decline in cognitive function. This suggests that the benefits of an egalitarian and intensive education system during early childhood can offset some of the physical burdens associated with a lower standard of living.

When focusing on the age at which participants experienced German reunification, the greatest differences in immediate memory and verbal fluency were observed among participants who were in their 40s at the time of reunification. For spatial awareness and numerical processing ability, the greatest differences were seen among participants who were in their 20s at the time of reunification.

On the other hand, among those who were already approaching retirement age at the time of German reunification, there was little difference in cognitive ability. This result suggests that East Germans who experienced reunification in their youth or middle age may have been able to maximize the benefits of their early childhood education within an environment integrated into a large-scale economic system.

It should be noted that East and West Germany differed in many ways beyond education and the economy. For example, West Germany had a much higher rate of car ownership, which likely meant greater exposure to environmental toxins such as lead in gasoline. East Germany, on the other hand, had a secret police force and informants among its citizens, which likely negatively impacted social trust. This study, however, was unable to measure the impact of these social and environmental stressors.