Civil Society in Germany: Data, Facts, Developments

Abstract

Germany has a strong, differentiated civil society that provides a stable foundation and a supportive infrastructure for civic action. The number of civil society organisations (CSOs) has continued to grow in recent years and civil society is in a position to cover a broad spectrum of tasks and needs in society and to develop and represent societal positions. Not only as a labour market, CSOs also represent an economic factor. CSOs and civil society as a whole are also currently facing challenges. There is a trend towards less time being invested in volunteering and towards more informal volunteering. The basis for funding is declining because economic developments are causing donations and state funding to shrink. CSOs or individuals are also coming under pressure from state and non-state actors for their work and may, as a consequence, even withdraw from their commitment. The self-image of CSOs as initiators of social change and actors in political decision-making has increased noticeably. As a result, the role of civil society in relation to the state and in shaping policies has also become more contested. While political parties often perceive the involvement of civil society actors in the public sphere as unwelcome competition and the state administration is developing an ever-increasing need to control civil society, the business community is suspicious of civil society as an antipode in the formulation of social priorities. This report provides quick access to the latest developments and findings on the most important aspects of German civil society. Starting with a description of the organisational landscape, it presents the activities of CSOs, their role in the labour market, developments in volunteering and funding, bureaucratic obligations, issues of political participation and observations regarding a shrinking civic space. When compiling the data for this report, a number of desiderata became apparent: the data on civil society is incomplete in many aspects, not up to date or only comparable to a limited extent due to differing research methods. Closing these gaps requires collective efforts on the part of CSOs, state institutions and the research community.