Most immigrants in Germany say they do feel they belong, according to a new report, but they also face lower earnings, unequal chances for children and rising discrimination.
A strong sense of belonging does not equate to a level playing field.
While 81 percent of immigrants feel they belong in Germany, compared with 91 percent of people without an immigration history, substantial gaps remain in earnings, education and access to work. Experiences of discrimination are also becoming more common.
That is the central tension in Germany’s latest integration report, a biennial report by the German Centre for Integration and Migration Research which highlights both successes and challenges in integrating foreigners into German work and life.
A major takeaway in this year’s report is that making a home in Germany is possible – and millions have done so – but feeling part of society doesn’t necessarily come with the same opportunities.
For foreign residents planning careers, families and a long-term future in the Bundesrepublik, the 15th integration report offers reasons for confidence – but also raises questions which Germany still needs to answer.
A sense of belonging
Around 81 percent of immigrants feel they belong in Germany, according to the report. Among their descendants, the figure reaches 89 percent. That’s compared with 91 percent among people that don’t have an immigration history.
These numbers certainly challenge sweeping claims by some politicians that integration has failed here.
But strong attachment to Germany doesn’t not exclude the possibility of frustration with aspects of life here among immigrants.
Being needed is not the same as getting ahead
Foreign citizens have accounted for all net employment growth in Germany since 2024, according to the report. Their contribution is particularly important in sectors such as nursing, hospitality and transport.
But participation does not bring equal rewards. In 2024, immigrants’ full-time earnings were around 16 percent below those of people without an immigration history. Their descendants earned around 12 percent less.
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To be clear, these are differences in average earnings between groups rather than evidence that foreigners receive less pay for the same jobs. The report links part of the pay gap to immigrants being more frequently employed in less-skilled work.
For families, another divide stands out. In 2025, 60.7 percent of immigrant women living in family households were employed, compared with 87.7 percent of women without an immigration history in family households.
Integration Commissioner Natalie Pawlik points to reliable childcare, faster recognition of qualifications, language support and targeted training as ways to get more immigrant women into the workforce.
Children make progress – but from a different starting point
There is encouraging evidence for parents hoping their children will find opportunities in Germany.
In 2024, 46.6 percent of immigrant descendants aged 25 to 34 had attained higher educational qualifications than their parents. By 2025, 26.7 percent held a university degree, more than double the proportion in 2009.
But moving up compared with your parents is different from having equal chances alongside your peers.
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The gap begins early. Among children aged three to under six, daycare attendance in 2025 was 69.2 percent for those who had immigrated themselves and 77.5 percent for descendants, compared with 91.4 percent for children without an immigration history.
The report identifies social and financial disadvantage, alongside parents’ educational circumstances, as important factors behind unequal educational outcomes.
Discrimination on the rise
Additionally the report highlights the fact that feeling at home doesn’t necessarily mean feeling accepted – or safe.
The number of hate crimes rose by about 70 percent between 2021 and 2025, with xenophobia the most common motive, according to the report.
Meanwhile, the proportion of immigrants reporting racial discrimination increased from 12.6 percent in 2022 to 15.5 percent in 2024. Muslim immigrants reported discrimination particularly frequently.
READ ALSO: Germany turns away nearly 30,000 applicants to integration courses
Support for integration
Integration Commissioner Pawlik argues that Germany cannot simply ask newcomers to integrate without supporting them in doing so.
“If we demand integration, we must also make it possible – through quality education, language support, and access to employment,” she said.
The government points to measures already in place. These include work-related German courses funded by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, and programmes such as “MY TURN”, which supports immigrant women on their path towards qualifications and employment.
In education, the Startchancen programme aims to make children’s prospects less dependent on their social background – a problem the report identifies as an important factor behind unequal outcomes.
But Pawlik acknowledged that more needs to change, particularly for immigrant mothers: “We must not let cost-cutting undermine integration.”
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