Germany is facing a dramatic rise in racist discrimination, with new official data showing reported cases have more than tripled since 2019.
“We have a serious racism problem,” said agency commissioner Ferda Ataman on Tuesday while presenting the annual report in Berlin. “Millions of people are more concerned about their safety than ever before.”
The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency logged a record 11,405 complaints in 2024—the highest total since its founding.
Of these, 3,858 involved racism, antisemitism, or ethnic origin, up sharply from just 1,167 five years earlier.
Discrimination cuts across daily life
The data paints a grim picture of inequality spanning all areas of society.
More than 3,000 cases were linked to workplace discrimination, while hundreds more were connected to public institutions, education, housing, healthcare, and even the judiciary and police.
Discrimination based on disability was the second most reported category, with 2,476 cases, followed by gender (2,133), age (1,091), and religion or worldview (626).
Of the 9,057 cases covered under Germany’s General Equal Treatment Act (AGG), 43 percent were related to racism or ethnic origin.
However, Ataman pointed out that over 2,300 other complaints—many involving state bodies—fell outside the AGG’s protections.
“In Germany, people are better protected against discrimination in restaurants than in government offices,” she said, calling for urgent legal reform.
'Discrimination must have consequences'
Ataman emphasised that the rise in complaints reflects not just worsening conditions, but also greater public awareness and willingness to report. Still, she warned: “What we receive is just the tip of the iceberg.”
External studies cited in the report suggest that one in three people in Germany has experienced discrimination.
Migrants report verbal abuse, threats of deportation, and indifference to hate symbols in schools, while women continue to face significant barriers in the workplace.
Calling on lawmakers to act decisively, Ataman urged the government to strengthen the Equal Treatment Act and empower institutions to resist far-right influence.
“Illegal parking is punished more consistently than discriminating against people,” she said. “Discrimination must have consequences. We cannot afford to normalise it.”
