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Discrimination remains a widespread reality in Germany, affecting millions of residents in their daily lives — from interactions with public authorities to experiences in shops, workplaces and public spaces, according to new research.
A large-scale study based on data from the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) reveals that 13.1% of adults in Germany, roughly one in eight people, experienced discrimination within a single year. This translates to about nine million people across the country, highlighting what Germany’s Federal Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination, Ferda Ataman, describes as a systemic problem rather than isolated incidents.
Presenting the findings in Berlin on Tuesday (10 March), Ataman warned that discrimination poses a challenge to social cohesion. “When millions feel like second-class citizens, it puts strain on society and weakens trust in the state,” she said.
Racism and Ethnic Origin Most Frequently Cited
According to the survey, racism or ethnic origin is the most frequently cited reason for discriminatory treatment, accounting for about 41.9% of reported cases. Other common factors include appearance (25.9%), gender or gender identity (23.8%), and disability or chronic illness (13.9%).
The study draws on responses from around 30,000 participants nationwide, making the SOEP one of the most comprehensive long-term social surveys in Germany. The experiences reported in the study cover the period from May 2021 to January 2023, when pandemic-related restrictions still shaped everyday life.
Discrimination occurs across many aspects of daily life. Respondents said they faced unequal treatment in the street (41.5%), when accessing goods and services such as shops or restaurants (40.7%), and at work (39.2%). Public transport (20.6%) and encounters with authorities, government offices or police (19.5%) were also frequently mentioned.
Ataman illustrated the human reality behind the numbers with the example of a Black woman who felt discriminated against in a supermarket because of her skin colour. According to the account, an employee searched the woman’s baby stroller without any apparent reason and justified it by saying: “Sorry, but someone like you stole something here recently, so I have to make sure.”
The findings also show that certain groups experience discrimination far more often than others. More than 28% of Muslims surveyed said they had experienced discrimination, compared with just over 10% of non-Muslims. The figure rises dramatically for Muslim women who wear a headscarf, more than 38% of whom reported discriminatory treatment within a year.
Such experiences range from subtle exclusion to overt acts of suspicion or hostility in everyday settings.
Most Victims Remain Silent
Despite the prevalence of discriminatory experiences, the majority of those affected do nothing. The study found that 56% of those who experienced discrimination did nothing, while nearly 30% confronted the person or institution involved. Only 8.1% filed an official complaint, and a mere 2.6% pursued legal action.
Ataman attributed this in part to Germany’s restrictive legal framework. Under the General Equal Treatment Act (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz or AGG), those seeking redress must file a written complaint within just two months of an incident — one of the tightest deadlines in Europe. In France, by contrast, affected individuals have several years to act.
Experts say the low reporting rate means official statistics capture only a fraction of the real problem. Indeed, the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency has already recorded record numbers of complaints in recent years, with thousands of cases linked to racism, disability and gender discrimination.
Calls for Stronger Legal Protection
Ataman is urging the federal government to reform the General Equal Treatment Act. She argues that existing laws contain loopholes that allow discrimination to persist and that the time limit for filing complaints, currently just two months, should be extended.
For many observers, the study underscores an uncomfortable reality: discrimination is not confined to the margins of German society but occurs in everyday life, across workplaces, public institutions and commercial settings. Addressing it, experts say, will require not only stronger laws but also broader social awareness and accountability.
Vivian Asamoah
