Germany Reports Record Discrimination Claims in 2025, Affecting Millions
Germany's Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency received 13,067 counseling requests in 2025, a record high and 1,662 more than the previous year. The agency's commissioner notes this represents only a fraction of actual discrimination, with surveys suggesting over 13% of Germans—approximately 9 million people—experienced discrimination in the past year. The findings underscore calls for stronger legal protections and increased resources to combat discrimination across German society.
Germany's Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency reported a record 13,067 counseling requests in 2025, representing a significant increase from 2024 and more than triple the 2019 pre-pandemic figure. Commissioner Ferda Ataman emphasized that this official count captures only a small portion of actual discrimination, citing survey data indicating over 13% of the German population—roughly 9 million people—experienced discrimination within the past year. Racism remained the most frequently reported form of discrimination at 43% of cases (4,571 reports), followed by discrimination against people with disabilities or chronic illnesses at 28%, and gender-based discrimination at 22%. Ataman, an independent commissioner elected by the Bundestag for a five-year term, has criticized the current government's proposed reforms to the 2006 General Act on Equal Treatment as inadequate and called for expanded resources and legal protections to address the widespread problem.
What's missing
The article does not specify the nature of the proposed reforms to the Equal Treatment Act that Ataman criticized, nor does it detail how Germany's resource allocation compares to other European countries (the article text appears to cut off mid-sentence on this point).
What different sources said
- Deutsche WelleCenter
Germany sees record number of discrimination claims in 2025
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