Germany faces rising extremism as 14% reject core democratic values by 2025
A growing number of Germans are showing openness to extremist ideologies, according to recent data. While most citizens still support democratic values, concerns are rising over increasing hostility and politically motivated crimes. New figures highlight shifts in public attitudes between 2020 and 2025.
By mid-2025, 14.4 percent of survey participants were classified as democracy-distant, meaning they rejected core democratic principles. This contrasted with 85.6 percent who remained firmly committed to a liberal, rule-of-law democracy. Yet, within that majority, troubling trends emerged: 7.2 percent held overtly antisemitic views, while 28.3 percent displayed clear anti-Muslim attitudes.
The share of people receptive to far-right ideologies also grew significantly. In 2021, this figure stood at 21.8 percent; by 2025, it had risen to 29.6 percent. Alongside shifting attitudes, recorded crimes with political or bias-driven motives surged. Victims of such offences increased from 1,221 in 2020 to 2,162 in 2024, reaching a rate of 100.7 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants.
Despite these trends, the federal government has not introduced specific policies directly tied to the MOTRA-Monitor findings, which track extremist attitudes. However, in February 2026, officials presented the Nationaler Aktionsplan gegen Rechtsextremismus. This plan focuses on prevention, prosecution, and resocialisation through education, early detection, and the justice system—though no explicit connection to the monitor's data was made.
The data reveals a clear rise in extremist leanings and politically motivated crimes over five years. Most Germans still back democratic values, but the growing acceptance of hostile ideologies has prompted government action. The 2026 action plan marks the latest effort to address these challenges through structured prevention and legal measures.
