It appears that German POWs in the Soviet Union were around a third as likely to die in captivity as Soviet POWs in Germany. Why didn't these rates converge as a result of soldier's expectations and morale over the course of the war? Was Stalin more humanitarian?

by SnoopDrug
TankArchives

Morale isn't as much of a problem as food. POWs in Germany were fed very poorly to begin with, and that amount only declined as the war went on and Germany's resources waned, along with the quality (for example, ersatz "bread" which was 50% actual bread and 50% cellulose and manufacturing byproducts). On the contrary, POWs in the USSR received more and more food as the war progressed. POWs in the USSR also received tobacco, soap, and vitamin-rich fish oil.

Sources (with lots of detailed tables)