Record in politically motivated crimes in Germany

According to the information, right-wing extremism remains the biggest driver of politically motivated crime. With over 42,000 offenses, this area accounts for about half of all registered cases. Propaganda offenses such as swastika graffiti or the use of prohibited symbols make up a large portion of this.

Right-wing extremism as the biggest factor

According to the investigation, the number of left-wing extremist crimes rose by around 35 percent to over 13,000 cases. In left-wing extremist violent crimes, the authorities recorded an increase of more than 42 percent to almost 1,100 offenses. Crimes with foreign ideology (over 6,000 cases) and with religious ideology (almost 1,900 cases) are also recorded in the statistics.

In total, 4,156 politically motivated violent crimes were registered last year – an increase of 1.2 percent compared to the previous year. Investigators attribute 1,598 of these violent acts to the right-wing extremist spectrum. Politically motivated crime includes, among other things, assault, arson, explosive offenses, breach of the peace, trespassing, as well as incitement and intimidation on the internet and in social media.

Violent crimes in detail

According to the investigators' assessment, the Middle East conflict plays a special role in the criminal offenses, appearing disproportionately frequently as a motive in politically motivated crimes in Germany. The data suggest that international conflicts have a direct impact on the security situation in Germany.

The Welt am Sonntag investigation and the analysis of the state data paint a picture of societal polarization that is increasingly reflected in criminal offenses. Observers also see this as a consequence of the emotionally charged debates during the 2025 Bundestag election campaign, which mobilized extremist currents of various stripes.

Outlook on federal numbers

Security authorities and interior ministries view the figures as evidence that combating politically motivated crime remains one of the central challenges of the coming years. The upcoming publication by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, which includes all 16 states, is likely to confirm or even exacerbate the trend.