Record 13,067 discrimination complaints filed in Germany in 2025, anti-discrimination agency says
More people than ever reported discrimination to the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency in 2025, with 13,067 inquiries, a 15% jump from the previous year. Workplace incidents made up the largest share.
Record number of inquiries
The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency logged 13,067 requests for advice in 2025, a 15% increase on 2024 and the highest figure since the body was established. The count has climbed each year since 2021, when it stood at 7,750. The agency offers initial legal guidance but does not adjudicate claims.
Racist discrimination dominates
Racism was the most frequently cited ground, accounting for 4,571 cases or 43% of all inquiries. Disability or chronic illness formed the second-largest category (3,015 cases, 27%), followed by gender (2,407 cases, 22%), age (1,261 cases, 12%), religion or worldview (733 cases, 7%), and sexual identity (around 386 cases, 4%).
Racist attitudes are consolidating – and lead to significantly more severe experienced discrimination.
- Racist discrimination
- 4571 cases
- Disability/chronic illness
- 3015 cases
- Gender
- 2407 cases
- Age
- 1261 cases
- Religion/worldview
- 733 cases
- Sexual identity
- 386 cases
Workplace is primary arena
The workplace was by far the most common setting for alleged discrimination, with 3,600 inquiries citing issues such as discriminatory job ads, rejected applications, or bullying. About 20% of cases related to access to goods and services, including housing, where the number of inquiries rose roughly 25% to 488. Complaints in health and care also jumped by almost 25%. More than 1,400 inquiries involved discrimination by public authorities, and over 500 concerned treatment by the justice system or police.
Reform of equality law criticised
A reform of the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) approved by the cabinet in early May was dismissed by Ataman as insufficient. It extends the deadline for filing claims from two to four months but still does not cover discrimination by state bodies.
The planned reform is too weak and brings people very little in everyday life.
Concrete examples from the report
One case describes an 11-year-old girl of dark skin colour buying ice cream; the vendor refused to give her the change, saying, “I don’t trust people like you.” In another, a customer of Asian appearance was stopped by a store detective after buying a shirt, even though the cashier confirmed the purchase.
