Fourteen percent of Germans are planning to emigrate within the next five years, while 68% say they have no intention of leaving the country, according to a new survey.
The polling institute Insa found that the strongest desire to emigrate is among younger Germans. Twenty-four percent of respondents aged 18 to 29 said they intend to leave Germany, rising to 27% among those aged 30 to 39.
Support for emigration declines steadily with age. Among respondents aged 40 to 49, 15% said they actively intend to move abroad, compared with 12% of those aged 50 to 59, 8% of those aged 60 to 69, and just 4% of those aged 70 or older.
The survey also found significant differences between party supporters. Around one in five Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) voters said they plan to emigrate within the next five years—the highest proportion among supporters of any political party.
They were followed by supporters of The Left (Die Linke) at 18% and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) at 15%.
By contrast, supporters of the CDU/CSU were the least likely to consider leaving Germany, with 80% saying they intend to remain in the country. They were followed by supporters of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) at 78% and the Greens at 77%.
The poll also asked respondents whom they would support in a direct election for chancellor. If the choice were between Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and AfD co-leader Alice Weidel, 29% said they would back Weidel, compared with 17% for Merz.
Among CDU/CSU supporters, fewer than half (48%) said they would support Merz, while 86% of AfD voters backed Weidel.
According to the survey, the AfD would remain Germany’s largest party if a federal election were held now, with 28% support.
The CDU/CSU followed at 21%, while the Greens stood at 13.5%. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) fell to 12%, and Die Linke remained at 11%.
The FDP increased its support by one percentage point to 5%, enough to return to the Bundestag under Germany’s electoral threshold, while the BSW stood at 4%.
