Protest Year 2024: Demonstrations Rise as the Privileged Withdraw
05/06/2025The Weizenbaum Report 2025 provides representative data on political participation, civic engagement, and financial inclusion in Germany.
Nearly one in five people took part in a demonstration at least once in the past year – a new record high. In contrast, many other forms of political participation have declined, largely due to a withdrawal by the upper middle class.
This trend is particularly pronounced in activities directly tied to money, such as donations. Among the more privileged, the share of those who donated to a political, social, or charitable organization dropped from 75 percent in 2022 to 53 percent in 2024. During the same period, donation rates among less affluent citizens rose from 40 to 47 percent.
Martin Emmer, Principal Investigator at the Weizenbaum Institute, emphasizes: “Current societal divisions are also reflected in political participation. On one hand, concern about authoritarian threats to democracy drove many people to the streets in 2024; on the other hand, it appears that the more affluent are stepping back somewhat from civic engagement in light of ongoing crises. It is up to policymakers and civil society to bring all segments of society back into dialogue.”
Contrary to public debates about political disillusionment and frustration with the governing coalition, satisfaction with democracy and trust in the government slightly recovered in 2024 after years of decline. Nevertheless, a large majority remains concerned about democratic culture: 79 percent of Germans believe that threats and violence against politicians are widespread, and two-thirds see this as a danger to democracy.
Further findings from the Weizenbaum Report 2025
Digital media continue to grow in importance
While internet use for political information has plateaued, its relevance is increasing due to the decline of traditional media. Social networks like Facebook and Instagram, in particular, have become more influential, potentially impacting political opinion formation more than in previous election years.
Combatting hate and misinformation remains steady
Digital civic courage and activism remain stable: in 2024, 40 percent of Germans encountered hate speech online, and a third of them took action against it. Efforts to fight misinformation also remain strong: 27 percent independently verified “fake news,” and 20 percent warned others about it.
Financial inclusion as a new challenge
For the first time, the report examined financial inclusion. The use of digital payment services reveals significant income-related disparities. Younger and lower-income groups are especially at risk of over-indebtedness through services like Klarna.
Alexandra Keiner, Research Associate at the Weizenbaum Institute, explains: “In Germany, nearly all citizens have a bank account. But a closer look at specific payment methods reveals clear differences based on income and gender. Credit cards and digital payment services like PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay are used much more frequently by higher earners and men. As a result, financial inclusion for women and low-income groups is limited – they may lack access to flexible online payments or the credit lines that others can draw on and repay later.”
Presentation of the Weizenbaum Report 2025
At an evening event on April 15, 2025, the Weizenbaum Report 2025 was officially presented to the public. In a keynote address marking the release of the annual report, Christian Strippel, head of the research group “Weizenbaum Panel,” highlighted key findings—particularly those concerning political participation in Germany during 2024.
In the subsequent panel discussion, Principal Investigator Prof. Dr. Martin Emmer (Weizenbaum Institute / Freie Universität Berlin) spoke with Dr. Sally Peters (Institute for Financial Services, Hamburg), Wiebke Rockhoff (Diakonie Germany), and Alexandra Keiner (Weizenbaum Institute) about this year’s main focus of the report: financial inclusion in Germany, the use of digital payment services, and the associated risks of over-indebtedness.
The discussion explored why women and low-income individuals are significantly less likely to use credit cards, online banking, or services like PayPal compared to other population groups, and what consequences this may have for access to participation, consumer behavior, and the risk of debt. Special attention was given to "Buy Now, Pay Later" services such as Klarna and PayPal, particularly with regard to their potential to increase over-indebtedness and possible regulatory approaches to such offerings.
The audience also actively participated in the discussion. Among the topics raised were the relatively low adoption of digital payment methods in Germany compared to international standards, and the role the state should play in providing adequate payment infrastructure.
Further Information
A total of 2,658 individuals were interviewed by telephone, approximately 42 percent of whom had already participated in the previous year (2023). Newly recruited participants were selected through a random sampling process from the German-speaking population in Germany aged 16 and older. Detailed information and a comprehensive explanation of the methodology can be found here: https://panel.weizenbaum-institut.de/en/ressources/
Download: Weizenbaum Report 2025
Contact Persons
Prof. Dr. Martin Emmer
Principal Investigator
Christian Strippel
Head of Research Group “Weizenbaum Panel” and Methods Lab