More than half of Germans would consider leaving the country, according to a new survey conducted by YouGov and reported by Die Welt. The poll highlights growing public dissatisfaction over immigration, political developments, and prolonged economic stagnation.
Of those surveyed, 31% said they would “definitely” move abroad if they had no constraints, such as work or financial obligations, while another 27% said they would “probably” emigrate. Only 37% ruled out the idea entirely.
Among respondents open to emigration, 36% reported that the idea had occurred to them more often in recent months. Key reasons include Germany’s immigration challenges (61%), the ongoing recession (41%), the rise of the right-wing AfD party (29%), and geopolitical concerns such as the perceived threat from Russia (22%) and reduced U.S. support for Europe (12%).
The preferred destinations for potential emigrants are primarily other German-speaking countries, with Switzerland (30%) and Austria (23%) at the top of the list. Spain (22%) and Canada (17%) were also frequently mentioned.
The emigration sentiment comes as Germany struggles with stalled economic growth. The country remains the only G7 economy without growth over the past two years, and the IMF projects just 0.1% growth for 2025 under Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s new government.
Meanwhile, Germany remains the leading EU destination for asylum seekers, receiving over 237,000 applications in 2024 alone—more than a quarter of the total across the 27-member bloc. In response, the government has recently implemented stricter border controls, reversing the open-border policy established by Angela Merkel in 2015.
