More than a third of Germans believe in conspiracy theories, according to a study by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The study found that AfD voters and those who are unvaccinated against Covid-19 are particularly susceptible to conspiracy theories. The survey of 2,364 Germans found that over half (54%) of respondents agreed with at least one of five conspiracy theories, with more than a third agreeing with at least two. The most popular theory was that the government deliberately scared the population during the Covid-19 pandemic to enforce massive restrictions on civil liberties. Over a third (36.3%) of respondents agreed with this statement.
The study found that the Covid-19 vaccination status strongly influenced people’s belief in conspiracy theories. Unvaccinated people were more likely to agree with such narratives. Similarly, AfD voters were more likely to believe in conspiracy theories related to other topics such as the war in Ukraine and climate change. The study’s co-author, Anne Küppers, explained that the highest rates of agreement for conspiracy theories came from the extreme political fringes, particularly from the right-wing populist and extremist spectrum.
The study also found that people from eastern and southern Germany were more likely to believe in conspiracy theories related to the Covid-19 pandemic than those from northern and western Germany. Küppers attributed this trend to lower trust in political institutions in eastern Germany and a poorer socio-economic situation. She emphasized that numerous studies have shown that social inequality and economic disadvantage are associated with belief in conspiracy theories.
