Study Warns of Growing Anti-Muslim Hostility in Germany
(MENAFN) Anti-Muslim attitudes and support for right-wing extremist positions are becoming more widespread in Germany, while public confidence in democratic institutions has dropped to its weakest point in 25 years, according to a study published Wednesday.
The 2026 Leipzig Authoritarianism Study, conducted under the leadership of researchers Oliver Decker and Ayline Heller, revealed that 34.1% of participants expressed agreement with statements reflecting hostility toward Muslims. The proportion increased from 33.2% in 2024 and 26.5% in 2022, indicating a continued upward trend.
The researchers identified anti-Muslim attitudes through respondents' support for broad discriminatory claims, including proposals to prohibit Muslim immigration and expressions of feeling alienated within Germany because of the country's Muslim population.
The findings also highlighted considerable regional differences, with eastern Germany recording substantially higher levels of anti-Muslim sentiment than western parts of the country. The eastern region has also witnessed electoral advances by the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has campaigned on nationalist positions and demands for stricter restrictions on immigration.
In eastern German states, the share of respondents expressing anti-Muslim views reached 41.6%, compared with 38.2% in 2024. Meanwhile, western Germany recorded a rate of 32.2%, showing virtually no change over the same period.
The findings point to growing social divisions over immigration and religious diversity alongside declining confidence in Germany's democratic system.
The 2026 Leipzig Authoritarianism Study, conducted under the leadership of researchers Oliver Decker and Ayline Heller, revealed that 34.1% of participants expressed agreement with statements reflecting hostility toward Muslims. The proportion increased from 33.2% in 2024 and 26.5% in 2022, indicating a continued upward trend.
The researchers identified anti-Muslim attitudes through respondents' support for broad discriminatory claims, including proposals to prohibit Muslim immigration and expressions of feeling alienated within Germany because of the country's Muslim population.
The findings also highlighted considerable regional differences, with eastern Germany recording substantially higher levels of anti-Muslim sentiment than western parts of the country. The eastern region has also witnessed electoral advances by the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has campaigned on nationalist positions and demands for stricter restrictions on immigration.
In eastern German states, the share of respondents expressing anti-Muslim views reached 41.6%, compared with 38.2% in 2024. Meanwhile, western Germany recorded a rate of 32.2%, showing virtually no change over the same period.
The findings point to growing social divisions over immigration and religious diversity alongside declining confidence in Germany's democratic system.
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