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Demo against corona measures in Hamburg: There are new believers
Photo: Hanno Bode / IMAGO
Politicians have been trying to convince people of a corona vaccination with advertising and arguments for months, but there are many who are only little interested in facts about the pandemic.
After all, the proportion of people who believe in corona conspiracy myths and completely deny the existence of the virus has recently decreased somewhat, according to a new study.
Specifically, the proportion of supporters of corona conspiracy myths in the population has decreased from 14 percent in 2020 to nine percent in 2021, according to the representative study "Who (no longer) believes in corona conspiracy myths" by Tobias Spöri and Jan Eichhorn.
It was asked: “Social media is full of stories claiming that the corona pandemic is a hoax and that the protective measures are a hysterical overreaction.
Do you believe such stories? "
The two scientists from universities in Vienna and Edinburgh based their study by the ThinkTank dpart on a total of two representative surveys.
More than 2000 people took part in 2020, and more than 60 percent of them were surveyed again in 2021.
The study is part of the “Values in Crisis” research project funded by the Volkswagen Foundation.
Hard core of six percent across Germany
The researchers again identified a hard core among the nine percent of supporters of conspiracy myths.
This is at least somewhat smaller in relation to the entire population.
According to the study, "only" six percent of the population are inveterate corona deniers.
Eight percent of people in Germany call themselves ex-supporters, three percent are new believers.
Many conspiracy theorists agreed, among other things, that a powerful group wanted to make a profit by spreading the virus.
Many of the supporters place themselves politically on the right.
According to the researchers, the conspiracy myths are more widespread than average among younger population groups, among low-wage earners, those with lower educational qualifications - and among East Germans.
According to the survey, the proportion of supporters of corona conspiracy myths in eastern Germany is 16 percent (2020: 19 percent), twice as high as in western Germany with eight percent (2020: 13 percent).
The hard core of the corona deniers is also significantly larger in the east at eleven compared to five percent.
»Saxony a hotspot«
In particular, it is a federal state that attracts attention with a particularly high proportion of supporters of corona conspiracy myths: Saxony.
While the proportion of corona deniers nationwide has decreased compared to 2020, it has increased there - from 23 to 28 percent.
"You can even say that Saxony has become a hotspot," says study author Spöri to ZDF, which first reported on the results.
The low vaccination rate in the state does not surprise him: "Why should I get vaccinated against a virus whose existence I deny?"
According to the study, there are also an above-average number of supporters of the conspiracy myths in Saxony-Anhalt with around 16 percent as well as in Berlin, Hesse and Baden-Württemberg (around twelve percent each).
apr