Racist prejudices are widespread in German society, with more than one in three people expressing openly racist views, according to a survey published Thursday by the German Centre for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM).
More than a third, or 36%, agree with the statement that there are human "races,” even though this is considered scientifically outdated.
Just under half of respondents, or 48%, believe that certain groups are "by nature more hard-working” than others, while two-thirds, or 66%, believe that certain cultures are "more progressive and better” than others. These attitudes are found across all groups surveyed.
The researchers surveyed attitudes toward minorities, with more than one in 10 respondents agreeing fully or somewhat that discrimination against members of ethnic or religious minorities is no longer a problem in Germany. Around one in five agreed partly, while more than 60% disagreed fully or somewhat.
A quarter of respondents agreed with the statement that ethnic and religious minorities make too many demands for equality.
Federal Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Ferda Ataman noted that it is not true that people can simply be divided into perpetrators and victims. "It doesn’t work like that; societies are diverse,” she said.
"The belief that there are human races is also widespread among people who are then negatively affected by it.”
Discriminatory beliefs tended to decrease with higher levels of education.
Racism and discrimination take many forms in everyday life, Ataman said.
"Muslims report that, for example, someone at the station might whisper to them as they pass by: ‘We’ll send you knife-wielding thugs back home too," she said.
"One mother reported that her child was called to the blackboard by the teacher with the words 'Mohammed, come to the blackboard, you little terrorist.'"
The researchers classified insults or abuse, harassment, threats or attacks as overt experiences. They classified unfriendly treatment, being stared at and other experiences as more subtle. In both areas, Black and Muslim people reported negative experiences particularly frequently, including when dealing with government departments and authorities.
The most common grounds for discrimination among all respondents were gender, age and social class, which can also affect white people.
Trust in state authorities and politics is lower among people who experience racism. Reports of discrimination from acquaintances or relatives also play a role here.
"Discrimination is therefore not merely a matter of subjective perception, but a real threat to the legitimacy of state institutions and social cohesion," noted co-author Tae Jun Kim.
The survey has been conducted since 2022 as part of the National Discrimination and Racism Monitor. This year's study surveyed 8,171 people living in Germany aged between 18 and 74 online between October 2025 and January 2026.
Population groups potentially affected by racism are specifically over-represented, but their responses were weighted to allow for statements about the general population. The research center says the survey is representative.
Respondents were able to self-identify with various categories, which included Germans without a migrant background or white people; black, Asian, Muslim and Eastern European people; and Germans with a migrant background.