Walter Arendt (born 17 January 1925 in Heessen; died 7 March 2005 in Bornheim) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).

He was Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of Germany from 1969 to 1976.

Since 1946 he was member of the SPD and member of the German Bundestag from 1961 to 1980.

Arendt was the son of a miner who died early from pneumoconiosis.

This was one of his motives in his later strive to improve the situation of miners by enabling them to receive earlier pension.