German police recorded the highest number of right-wing motivated violent offences last year since 2016, according to a government response to a question from the opposition Left Party.
The response, seen by dpa, showed that Germany’s federal states had reported a total of 1,598 such offences for 2025 to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) by the cut-off date of January 31, 2026.
In most cases, investigations were launched on suspicion of bodily harm or grievous bodily harm.
The previous year, the states recorded 1,488 right-wing motivated violent offences, while in 2023 police registered 1,270 violent offences with a right-wing background.
The figures for the previous year can still change because of late reports. This is partly because reports first have to be passed from the states to the BKA, but also because the political motivation behind an offence sometimes only becomes clear later.
Looking at all right-wing motivated offences recorded in 2025, there was a slight decline, from 42,788 to 42,544 offences.
Typical politically motivated offences include denigrating the state and its symbols, incitement to hatred and insults.
Violent offences include homicides, bodily harm, breach of the peace, dangerous interference with road traffic, deprivation of liberty and offences involving resistance to law enforcement officers.