A new report by the National Discrimination and Racism Monitor (NaDiRa) in Germany has revealed that 54% of people with a migration background experience discrimination at least once a month, compared to 32% of those without a migration background. The report, published on Thursday, highlights the experiences of Muslim and black women and men, who are particularly affected by subtle discrimination.
According to the study, the most common grounds for discrimination are skin color for black and Asian people and religion for Muslim individuals. The report also found that 55% of Asian and Muslim respondents reported being perceived as “not German” and being disadvantaged as a result.
Those who regularly experience discrimination often suffer from psychological distress and report symptoms of depression and anxiety. Muslim and Asian individuals are particularly affected, with one-third of those who experience frequent discrimination reporting moderate to severe symptoms, compared to around 10% of those who do not experience discrimination.
Co-author of the report, Aylin Mengi, stated, “The numbers show that racism is not the exception, but the rule for many people in Germany. People who regularly experience discrimination report three times more often of psychological stress.” The study also found that those who experience frequent discrimination have less trust in social cohesion and in state institutions, including the government, police and justice system.
Since 2022, trust in the federal government has decreased by up to 20 percentage points, particularly among Muslim and Asian individuals. Similarly, trust in the police and justice system is decreasing, especially among those with a history of discrimination. For example, 87% of Muslim respondents trust the police if they have not experienced discrimination, but only 19% if they regularly experience it. For Asian individuals, trust in the police drops from 86% to 4% if they regularly experience discrimination.
More than one-fifth of the German population, according to the report, holds “established racist attitudes”: 22% of respondents believe that ethnic and religious minorities have profited economically more in recent years than they should and 23% think that ethnic and religious minorities make too many demands for equal rights.
The survey was conducted between 2022 and 2024, with around 20,000 and 9,500 participants, respectively, with and without a migration background.