Study finds rising islamist sympathies among young muslims in Germany
A new research report on radicalisation trends in Germany suggests that a significant share of Muslims under the age of 40 show some level of sympathy toward Islamist positions.
The findings come from the latest MOTRA Monitor, a research programme on extremism coordinated by Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). According to the 2024–2025 report, around 45.1% of Muslims under 40 display some degree of alignment with Islamist ideas. The figure marks a noticeable increase from 35.2% recorded in 2021.
Researchers say the rise is largely driven by a growth in what they describe as “latent support” for Islamist narratives.
Shift in attitudes
Within the overall percentage identified by the study, 33.6% of respondents expressed what researchers classify as a latent affinity with Islamist statements, while 11.5% showed explicit support for such views.
The category of latent sympathy has expanded considerably in recent years, rising from 22.3% in 2021 to 33.6% in the latest survey, which researchers say explains most of the overall increase.
The trend is not limited to younger participants. Across the broader group of Muslims surveyed in Germany, the proportion of respondents expressing some form of agreement with Islamist-related statements rose from 29.3% in 2021 to 40% in 2025.
At the same time, the share of participants who rejected such positions declined from 70.7% to 60% over the same period.
Social media and radical narratives
The study was based on responses to eight statements presented to participants who identified as Muslim. Respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement using a four-point scale.
Researchers also noted a correlation between higher levels of Islamist sympathy and intensive use of certain social media platforms, suggesting that online environments may play a role in the spread of ideological narratives.
The report highlights a rise in support for some particularly controversial statements. For example, the proportion of respondents who agreed that an Islamic state would represent the best form of government increased from 18.7% in 2021 to 23.8% in 2025.
In addition, support for the statement that “Jews cannot be trusted” more than doubled during the same period, rising from 12.6% to 28.6%, according to the survey’s findings.
Researchers stress that the data reflects attitudinal trends rather than direct involvement in extremist activity, but they warn that the shift may indicate growing vulnerability to radical narratives among certain segments of the population.
