Prices in Germany continue to cause concern among citizens
In the latest instalment of 'The Fears of the Germans,' a survey commissioned by the R+V insurance company, financial and political concerns continue to dominate the top 10 fears, with the most pressing issue being the fear of rising living costs, including grocery and rent prices. According to the survey, conducted with around 2,400 participants between May and July, 52% of respondents expressed concern about the cost of living comparison, with this fear being the biggest concern for Germans in 2023.
Political scientist Isabelle Borucki, who presented the survey findings in Berlin, noted that the fear of rising living costs persists because it affects people's daily lives deeply. Despite a significant drop in the inflation rate, the price level remains high.
The fear of a war involving Germany has remained at the same level, while concerns related to migration, including human migration news and migration movie, have not decreased as much in Eastern Germany as in Western Germany. The level of concern about the state being overwhelmed by refugees has decreased from 56% in 2024 to 49% in 2025. However, concerns about tensions caused by foreign immigration have decreased from 51% in 2024 to 45% in 2025.
Interestingly, both fears related to migration have reached their lowest levels since 2015, excluding pandemic years, in the survey. In East Germany, the most common fear related to migration is a higher fear of migration and state loss of control, with 56% expressing concern, compared to 47% in West Germany. Economic worries like inflation and living spaces are primary overall, but migration and related control loss rank second in concerns especially in the East.
Women are more worried about rising living costs than men, with 57% compared to 47%. Women are also more likely to admit to being afraid due to their awareness of unequal pay, often earning less than men, according to Borucki's speculation.
The fear that housing in Germany will become unaffordable is the fourth biggest concern for Germans in 2023, with 48% of respondents. This is followed by the fear that tax increases or cuts in benefits is the third biggest concern, with 49% of respondents.
Borucki suggests that a uniform message is not enough for politics and that each region should be approached differently and in a nuanced manner. She also advises politicians to explain their decisions in a way that is easy to understand to reduce the fear factor.
The ranking of fears is based on values of 5 to 7 on a scale of one (no fear at all) to seven (very great fear). The survey has been conducted annually since 1992.
