The vast majority of Germans fear that the federal government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz will not be able to cope with the country's accumulated problems. Rising prices and the state of the education system also cause the greatest concern among citizens.

This was reported on October 27 by dpa agency, citing the results of a sociological study by the Forsa institute, commissioned by the German TV channels RTL and ntv.

According to the survey, 87% of Germans have serious or very serious concerns that the federal government is overwhelmed by the problems facing the country. Such sentiments are widespread not only among opposition supporters, but also among voters of the ruling parties.

The most pessimistic are supporters of the opposition 'Alternative for Germany' (AfD) — among them 99% fear that the authorities will not cope with existing challenges.

However, even among supporters of parties in the ruling coalition, the level of concern remains high. Similar concerns were expressed by 76% of voters of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and 60% of supporters of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, which is headed by Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Germans named the increase in the cost of living as the second most important problem. Further price increases cause serious concerns for 84% of respondents. Among AfD supporters this figure reaches 91%, among SPD supporters 83%, and among CDU/CSU supporters 70%.

Insufficient quality of school education worries 79% of respondents. Among AfD voters, 83% are concerned about the state of the education system, while among supporters of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc it is 58%.

According to the full results of the RTL and ntv study, a significant part of the German population is also concerned about social and economic problems:

  • 77% fear further increases in taxes and mandatory contributions;
  • 77% are concerned about possible deterioration of medical care;
  • 76% doubt the reliability of future pension provision;
  • 75% are worried about social inequality;
  • 74% fear further housing price increases;
  • 70% express concern about a possible deterioration in prosperity.

The study also revealed significant differences in Germans' views on migration and security.

The consequences of immigration cause serious concerns for 56% of the population as a whole. However, among AfD supporters this figure reaches 98%. At the same time, among voters of the Green Party and the Left Party, similar concerns were expressed by only 12% each.

The problem of crime worries 70% of Germans. Among AfD supporters, concern is significantly higher than among voters of other political forces.

At the same time, 70% of respondents fear the strengthening of right-wing extremism. This figure is particularly high among supporters of the Social Democrats and the Greens — 98% and 97% respectively.

The possibility of Germany being drawn into a war worries 58% of respondents. Among SPD and AfD supporters, this risk causes concerns for 62%, while among Green Party voters it is 41%.

The authors of the study note that on all 16 proposed topics, the majority of respondents expressed significant concern. At the same time, assessments of individual problems vary significantly depending on political preferences.

The survey was conducted by the Forsa institute from October 21 to 23, 2026. It involved 1009 residents of Germany. The statistical margin of error is about three percentage points.

The results of the new study add to the data of the ARD-DeutschlandTrend survey published at the beginning of October. Then it turned out that only 10% of Germans are satisfied with the work of the federal government and personally Chancellor Merz. These were the lowest figures since the measurement began.