We-feeling - Depth psychological and population-representative rheingold study
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Please find attached our press release (DEADLINE: May 22, 2025// 11:00 a.m.) on the
Study by the rheingold Institute on behalf of the Identity Foundation 2025.
Fear of social division - solidarity in Germany in crisis Between erosion and growing longing: In-depth psychological and population-representative rheingold study on the state of social togetherness in Germany.
Düsseldorf/Cologne, May 22, 2025 - Social cohesion is under threat and more and more people in Germany are experiencing a loss of solidarity - with society, politics and people outside their own immediate surroundings.
87%* perceive a growing separation and isolation in society, which worries them. (In 2023, only 83% of people agreed with this statement).
A full 89% agree that our society is divided and that a common sense of "we" has been lost.
And only 9%* of people still believe that the sense of community will improve in the next ten years. (In 2023, this figure was still 17%).
Longing for connecting togetherness Despite the crisis of connectedness and the feelings of loss that often accompany it, there is a strong longing for connecting togetherness.
95% of respondents agree that we need more cohesion in Germany again in view of the global political situation.
77% say they would like to have more genuine community experiences - including with people who think differently to them.
These are the key findings of the "Connectedness" study conducted by the rheingold Institute 2025, which specializes in depth psychological research, on behalf of the Düsseldorf-based Identity Foundation for Philosophy. For the study on connectedness in Germany, 32 two-hour interviews were conducted and 1,001 people were questioned in an online survey representative of the population.
Social mistrust, silent alienation
The study reveals a fragile picture of social cohesion in Germany. The country is experiencing a "frightening lack of solidarity", states Paul Kohtes, Chairman of the Foundation. Social mistrust, silent alienation and a lack of confidence characterize the experience.
The loss of trust in politics and the public service media, which are supposed to create a common perspective, is also alarming. Only 47% of the population say that they still have confidence in the providers of public service news. And only a third of people(34%) still trust democratic institutions.
Withdrawal from the unsettling outside world The reasons for this crisis of connectedness arise primarily from increased self-referentiality. In view of the multitude of current crises, many people are withdrawing into small circles and trying to isolate themselves from the unsettling outside world. An increasing feeling of insecurity is described across all age groups, both in the public sphere and in political and social issues. Only 28% of people currently feel safe in public spaces.
Problem for democracy
Social bastions are also emerging in the digital world: communities are becoming increasingly hermetic and developing a wagon-castle mentality. People from the social environment who are difficult or have different opinions are often sorted out and avoided.
84% of respondents agree that people with different opinions hardly ever approach each other. "This development is worrying for a democracy that is based on the ability to talk and change perspectives," warns psychologist Stephan Grünewald, founder of the rheingold Institute.
The flip side of the lack of openness and willingness to talk is a growing aggressive tension.
89% (2023: 84%) perceive social interaction as aggressive, with tensions increasingly escalating into verbal attacks in people's eyes.
Manifestations of connectedness in everyday life Despite such crisis-related findings, there are numerous manifestations of connectedness in everyday life. 85% experience a strong sense of connection/community with their family and 83% with their circle of friends. 67% of respondents experience a strong sense of connection with nature and the planet. In the in-depth interviews, people describe how they feel connected through shared commitment - for example in the neighborhood, in associations or political initiatives.
However, in people's eyes, the longing for solidarity is hardly being channeled socially. Currently, only 24% agree that society in Germany will grow closer together again in the future. "A lack of solidarity can jeopardize our liberal democracy in the long term," says Stephan Grünewald. Such social mistrust makes people susceptible to "totemic tribalism", as can currently be observed in the USA.
However, this path is increasingly leading to destructive, compartmentalized structures that stand in the way of the emergence of more comprehensive and broadly integrating bonds. According to the psychologist, the global crises act as an accelerant. Politics and society are faced with the question of whether and how this erosion of social connectedness can be stopped and whether there are possibilities for transformation.
Sample and method: The Connectedness Study was conducted by the rheingold Institute in January 2025 on behalf of the Identity Foundation. The aim was to examine the private, social and political dimensions of connectedness: Where do people in Germany still experience connectedness today - and where no longer? How does connectedness develop, how does it feel, what conditions promote or prevent it?
Qualitative part: 32 two-hour in-depth interviews with people aged between 18 and 65 from all over Germany. Selection according to age, gender, education, regional origin and political orientation.
Quantitative part: Online survey of 1,001 representatively selected people aged between 18 and 65 who live in Germany. The sample was proportioned according to age, gender, federal state and political attitude. The quantitative survey is based on a questionnaire that was developed on the basis of psychological in-depth interviews. The questionnaire was answered in March 2025.
The comparative values from 2023 relate to the confidence study, which was also conducted by the rheingold Institute for the Identity Foundation. The same basic population ensured comparability and enabled comparisons over time, as some of the questions were asked again by the rheingold Institute.
*Top 2 value = "Strongly agree" and "Agree somewhat"
About the Identity Foundation: The Identity Foundation is a non-profit foundation for philosophy and realizes projects on questions of identity. Previous research topics have included the future, the development of elites, the self-image of Germans and aspects of the personal and spiritual development of being human. Since 2014, the foundation has been a cooperation partner of phil.cologne, Germany's largest annual philosophy festival. Contact: Phone +49 6192 2068 258 nadja.rosmann@identity-foundation.de www.identity-foundation.de
About the rheingold Institute for Qualitative Market and Media Research: rheingold is one of the most renowned addresses for qualitative psychological impact research. With around 50 permanent employees and 140 freelance contractors - mainly qualified psychologists - the institute specializes in in-depth psychological market research. Every year, around 5,000 men and women lie "on the couch" at rheingold. The scientists also analyze the unconscious psychological influencing factors and contexts of meaning that determine the actions of every person.
AG Cologne, HRA 28907, General Partner: rheingold Verwaltungs GmbH, AG Cologne, HRB 74465 Managing Directors: Heinz Grüne, Stephan Grünewald, Hans-Joachim Karopka, Stephan Urlings
