Germany's anti-discrimination agency received a record number of requests for assistance in 2025, with racial discrimination accounting for the largest share of complaints, highlighting growing concerns over unequal treatment and social cohesion in Europe's largest economy.
"Racist attitudes are becoming entrenched - and leading to significantly more severe experiences of discrimination,” Federal Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Ferda Ataman told a news conference in Berlin.
She said people reported racist insults and humiliation at work, discrimination when searching for housing, and unequal treatment in health care - often tied to their appearance, ethnic background, or religion.
"Racism and discrimination do not disappear on their own - especially not when people feel that discrimination goes unpunished,” Ataman said. She called for tougher legislation and stricter enforcement to ensure everyone can live in freedom and security.
Ataman also stressed that a social climate increasingly shaped by anti-immigrant sentiment and racist attitudes harms not only those targeted, but also Germany’s social harmony and long-term economic prospects.
According to the agency’s annual report, workplace discrimination accounted for the largest share of all discrimination complaints in 2025, with 3,600 inquiries filed under the General Act on Equal Treatment (AGG). People sought advice on discriminatory job advertisements, rejected applications, and mobbing, among other issues.
The second-biggest category concerned access to goods and services - including housing - and made up about one-fifth of AGG-related inquiries. The agency logged 488 housing-related requests in 2025, around 25% more than a year earlier.
Reports of discrimination in healthcare and long-term care also rose, with counseling requests in that area up nearly 25% year on year.
The report noted that discrimination was frequently reported in areas outside the AGG’s scope, particularly in dealings with public authorities. In more than 1,400 cases, people said they were treated unfairly at government offices and agencies. A further 500-plus inquiries involved discrimination in interactions with the judiciary and police, while more than 600 cases were reported in the education sector.
