
Rising cost of living remains the top concern for Germans, with 59% fearing financial strain, according to the annual R+V insurance study released on Thursday. The survey, conducted since 1992, found this marks the fifth consecutive year inflation-related worries have ranked highest, with 2,400 participants polled this year .
Fear of tax hikes or social welfare cuts ranked second at 53%, while 51% worried about Germany’s economic decline—a 10-percentage-point jump from last year. Concerns about housing affordability followed at 50%, and 48% believed politicians were overwhelmed by their tasks, up 6 points year-on-year .
Political scientist Isabelle Borucki, an advisor to the study’s authors, called the economic pessimism a “collective loss of confidence in the country’s economic future,” describing it as an early warning system . Meanwhile, climate change concerns dropped to 30%, down 7 points, with Borucki suggesting resignation may be replacing fear .
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