Germans are much more worried today than they were two years agoaccording to a new nationwide poll that found significant differences between residents of the former East Germany and those of the former West Germany.

Almost 61% of the German population feel safe at this timeaccording to the poll, which was conducted by the IfD Allensbach institute on behalf of the Center for Strategy and Senior Leadership and was released today.

Two years ago the corresponding percentage was 76%. But the poll also found wide regional differences with 68 percent of citizens in eastern Germany — and just 46 percent in western Germany — saying they felt “general uncertainty about what is going to happen”.

Residents of former communist East Germany also had more positive views of Russia and expressed more concern about providing adequate medical care in case of serious illness.

“West and East Germany are drifting apart. This is a problem that receives far too little attention,” Renate Kecher, head of the institute, said today.

According to the poll, residents in the eastern part of Germany are also more concerned about the influx of refugees into the EU and the cost of energy, among other concerns.

In addition, 76% of people in eastern Germany, as opposed to just 44% in the west, fear that Germany is at risk of being dragged into war.

Overall, Germans nationally now view the conflict in the Middle East as threatening as the ongoing war in Ukraine following the Russian attack.

Based on the data, 27% of the population in Germany considers Israel’s military operation against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip to be correct. while 43% of respondents think Israel’s response to the October 7 terrorist attacks was excessive. Another 30% remain undecided.

The majority of Germans, 72%, believe that more investment in the national army is needed.

Chancellor Olaf Solz has pledged to rebuild the country’s armed forces “and the majority of citizens are wondering where and how this is happening,” said Klaus Schweinsberg, the founder of the Center for Strategy and Senior Leadership, a private group that offers expert training for business executives.

1,018 people in Germany aged 16 and over took part in the poll between January 5 and 18.