High Cost of Living Worries Most Germans

People in Germany are more politically engaged than they have been in a long time. This was also evident in the high voter turnout in the September state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Jens Thurau reported for Deutsche Welle.

Rising prices for food, energy and housing have made the cost of living Germans’ biggest concern in the 2026 R+V survey.

Germans are passionately debating immigration, upcoming reforms to pensions, healthcare and long-term care, as well as democracy and the rule of law.

But by far their greatest fear is the cost of living in Germany, which is becoming increasingly expensive.

That is the finding of the 2026 study on “Germans’ Fears,” presented by insurer R+V in Berlin. From early May through late July, researchers surveyed about 2,400 German-speaking citizens aged 14 and older.

The cost of living was again their top concern, as it has been for many years.

The study has been conducted annually since the early 1990s. Last year, 52% of those polled cited rising daily living costs as their greatest concern; in 2026, that figure rose to 59%.

At a press conference in Berlin, Isabelle Borucki, a political scientist from Marburg who served as a consultant on the study, explained that prices for key items such as energy, housing and food had risen noticeably, reducing people’s financial flexibility for leisure, vacations and purchases.

The study also found strong concerns about Germany’s social security systems and the prospect of higher taxes and contributions.

Fear of higher taxes and cuts to benefits ranked second at 53%, while concern that the state could be overwhelmed by refugees ranked third at 52%.