A recent survey conducted by YouGov and published by Die Welt newspaper has caused a stir in German public opinion: more than half of respondents said they would leave the country if given the chance.
31% of respondents said they would "certainly" move abroad if not bound by work, finances or personal circumstances.
Another 27% of respondents said "perhaps" would. Meanwhile, only 15% of respondents said they would not leave Germany at all, and 22,02% said they would "perhaps not".
Notably, 36% of those considering leaving said they have thought about it more often in recent months.
Among those who want to leave, the most common reason is concerns about the immigration situation, with 61% choosing this as the main reason.
Not stopping there, 41% cited a prolonged economic recession, making Germany the only G7 economy that has not grown for two consecutive years.
Political issues also caused deep concern, with 29% worried about the rise of the far-right AfD, while 22% feared the risk of military conflict from Russia.
12% expressed concern that the US - under President Donald Trump - would reduce its commitment to protect Europe. In particular, 36% chose other reasons, reflecting the widespread and diverse psychology of dissatisfaction in German society.
With the desire to leave their homeland, Germans tend to choose "safe and familiar" destinations. Switzerland (30%) and Austria (23%) lead the list, both of whom speak German.
Spain (22%) and Canada (17%) are also popular with many people because of their temperate climate, high quality of life and friendly immigration policies.
Once hailed as the "hapely European", Germany is facing a worrying reality: a stagnant economy, rising social conflicts, and increasing immigration pressure. In 2024, the country received more than 237,000 applications for asylum, accounting for more than 25% of the total number of applications in the EU.
To deal with this wave, the new administration under Prime Minister Friedrich Merz has tightened border control, ending the opening policy that Prime Minister Angela Merkel implemented in 2015. However, these efforts seem to be not enough to ease people's concerns.
The survey results reflect a society that is losing faith in the future, where even citizens with stable education and income no longer feel attached.
In the context of the economy continuing to stagnate (IMF forecasts Germany's economy to grow by only 0.1% in 2025), and internal conflicts increasingly deepening, the German government is clearly facing a difficult problem: How to keep its people?
