A growing number of Germans distrust politics, according to a recent study by the Bertelsmann Foundation, reported by the weekly newspaper “Die Zeit”. The study’s leader, Yasemin El-Menouar, noted that the percentage of Germans who distrust politics has increased over the past two years, from 42% in 2022 to 48% in 2024.
“This is alarming” El-Menouar said, as often, mistrust of politics is accompanied by conspiracy theories. The sociologist is also responsible for the study “Conspiracy Theories as a Threat to Democracy and Social Cohesion”, which the newspaper reported on. According to the study, 28% of the adult population in Germany believe it is likely that secret organizations exert a significant influence on politics, while 17% think it is possible that the state closely monitors all citizens.
Currently, 15% of the population, or more than 10 million people, are susceptible to conspiracy theories, the study found. Men between the ages of 30 and 45, in particular, are more likely to be drawn to conspiracy theories, making up 24% of the population but 43% of those who hold fundamental conspiracy beliefs.
“Migrants and Muslims are also overrepresented in this group” El-Menouar said. “While they make up 8% of the population, they account for 14% of those who believe in conspiracy theories and 23% of those who hold fundamental conspiracy beliefs.”
The study also found that people with a right-wing political orientation are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, with 45% of those in this group holding such beliefs. This is also linked to a greater distrust of migration and diversity, which can be connected to anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim sentiments, El-Menouar noted.
In the overall population, 57% of those who believe in conspiracy theories think that Muslims should be banned from immigrating to Germany, while in the general population, 45% share this view, El-Menouar said.