R+V Versicherung releases annual report on German public anxieties for 2026
A new report from R+V Versicherung highlights significant concerns among Germans regarding rising costs of living and declining trust in the national political leadership.
R+V Versicherung has published its latest annual study analyzing the primary anxieties of the German population. The findings indicate that economic concerns and a lack of confidence in political institutions remain the dominant themes for 2026.
Study lead Grischa Brower-Rabinowitsch reported that 59 percent of Germans are concerned that their financial resources will not be sufficient to maintain their standard of living. Furthermore, the fear of an economic recession has risen by 10 percentage points, representing a sharper increase than any other tracked anxiety in the survey.
Beyond personal finance, the data points to a notable loss of confidence in domestic politics. Nearly half of the respondents—48 percent—expressed concerns that political leaders are overwhelmed by their responsibilities. The study recorded a 4.1 average grade for the performance of the government and opposition, the lowest rating observed since 2018.
R+V Versicherung has conducted this longitudinal study since 1992, examining shifts in societal attitudes across economic, political, and environmental sectors. The full dataset, including expert analysis from Philipps-Universität Marburg, serves as an annual benchmark for German public sentiment.