According to a survey, German companies are hardly feeling any relief from the bureaucracy reductions announced by the federal government. The poll results drawn up by Forsa, on behalf of the Federation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA), indicate that 45% of surveyed companies perceive no change, while an even greater 53% report an increase in burdens caused by regulations and bureaucracy.
For these companies, excessive rules and requirements represent the biggest risk to their economic success, a factor cited as a problem by 83% of respondents. Following this, high labor costs are named as a major concern by 79% of businesses, trailed by high energy prices at 72%.
Other significant threats include the shortage of skilled workers, which 60% view as a substantial risk, and high corporate taxes, mentioned by 58%. Uncertain market demand worries 52% of companies, while antiquated infrastructure is cited by 46%. Furthermore, 36% consider the lack of digital administration to be a severe economic risk.
The Forsa survey included 1,006 private companies with at least 10 employees in Germany, surveyed between August 28 and September 29, 2026.
Rainer Dulger, President of the BDA, strongly criticized what he sees as the persistent bureaucratic load on businesses. Dulger noted that entrepreneurs are experiencing a “Sisyphus effect”; they strive, invest, create jobs, and move forward, yet constantly encounter new regulations that push them back. He told the newspaper “Bild” that scarcely after overcoming one bureaucratic hurdle, another piles up.
Dulger called for concrete easements. He stated that the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act should be abolished for companies with fewer than 5,000 employees. He also argued for the removal of unnecessary tax reporting obligations, stressing that the state should not continually demand data that it already possesses.
