In a YouGov survey for the German Press Agency, published in January 2026, 89 percent of adults in Germany named bureaucracy as typically German. Punctuality followed with 78 percent and diligence with 64 percent. Fifty-six percent named fear of change. In July 2026 a forsa survey for the civil service union dbb found that 79 percent of citizens think the state is overwhelmed by its tasks and problems. Only 17 percent trusted the state to solve its problems, a new low. Eighty-six percent said a clear reduction and simplification of official rules was important.