Germany sees record surge in racist discrimination complaints in 2024, tripling since 2019

BERLIN

Germany is facing a sharp rise in racist discrimination, with new official figures showing that the number of reported cases has more than tripled since 2019.

The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency received a record 11,405 complaints in 2024, marking the highest total since its founding.

According to the agency’s annual report, presented in Berlin by its commissioner, Ferda Ataman, 3,858 of those cases were related to racism, antisemitism, or ethnic origin—up from just 1,167 in 2019.

“We have a serious racism problem,” Ataman told reporters. “Millions of people are more concerned about their safety than ever before.”

The data paints a stark picture of discrimination across various aspects of daily life.

More than 3,000 cases related to the job market, while hundreds involved public institutions, schools, healthcare, housing, and even the police and judiciary.

Discrimination based on disability ranked second in the 2024 report, with 2,476 complaints, followed by gender (2,133), age (1,091), and religion or worldview (626).

Ataman noted that 43% of the 9,057 complaints falling under Germany’s General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) involved racism, antisemitism, or ethnic origin.

However, she stressed that over 2,300 other cases—including many involving state institutions—fell outside the AGG’s current scope.

“In Germany, people are better protected against discrimination in restaurants than in government offices,” she said, adding that the law must be expanded to cover public institutions such as schools, police, and courts.

The commissioner described the rise in reported cases not only as a reflection of worsening conditions but also as evidence of increased public awareness. Still, she warned: “What we receive is just the tip of the iceberg.”

One in three people in Germany say they have experienced discrimination, according to external studies cited in the report.

Women face particular challenges in the workplace, and migrants have reported verbal abuse, including threats of deportation and indifference to hate symbols in schools.

Ataman called on lawmakers to act decisively, saying: “Illegal parking is punished more consistently than discriminating against people.”

She urged authorities to strengthen the Equal Treatment Act and empower institutions to push back against the far right.

“Discrimination must have consequences,” she said. “We cannot afford to normalize it.”