Two-Thirds of Germans Express Fear over Social Division

A recent study has revealed that a significant proportion of Germans, approximately two-thirds, are increasingly concerned about a potential societal division. This sentiment has seen a marked increase over a relatively short duration, as evidenced by findings from the R+V insurance company’s representative survey, aptly titled “The Fears of Germans.” The results of this study were made public in Wiesbaden on Monday.

In a survey conducted last summer, only half of the respondents expressed concerns about a growing divide within society. However, recent findings indicate that this apprehension has since surged by 16 percent.

Interestingly, the fear of societal division has seen a sharper rise compared to the fear of political extremism. The latter fear was reported by 59 percent of those surveyed, which is an increase of 21 percentage points from the previous survey conducted in the summer.

When considering specific forms of extremism, right-wing extremism is the most feared, with 72 percent of respondents expressing concern. Concerns about Islamist extremism were expressed by 61 percent of respondents, whereas left-wing extremism was a concern for 29 percent.

A historical analysis reveals that fear of political extremism has only reached such heights twice since 1996. Specifically, in 2016 and 2017, under the shadow of attacks by the jihadist group Islamic State and the influx of refugees, fear of extremism was even more pronounced.

When the data is split between West and East Germany, there are distinct differences in fears. West Germans are predominantly concerned about right-wing extremism, while East Germans are primarily concerned about Islamist extremism.

In order to conduct this representative survey, R+V insurance’s information center surveyed 1,000 Germans online. The respondents were asked about their fears over a period from February 6th to February 11th, 2024.