Berliners Fear Their Future, Study Shows

More than half of all Berliners are anxious about the future, a study conducted by the German R+W insurance company and released on Thursday showed. Fifty-one percent of the inhabitants of the German capital said they feared what the future would bring, an increase of 7 percent from last year. Unemployment and rising prices were the most quoted sources of fear. Around two-thirds of those who participated in the study were afraid about not being employed, a dramatic increase of 22 percent from 2004. The study also showed that only one in three Berliners believed that politicians could adequately address their social and economic problems. Despite the recent attacks in London, the fear of terrorist acts in Berlin has decreased from 64 percent in 2004 to 42 percent this year.