A new study has shown Germans are becoming more sceptical of officially released government statistics, especially when they relate to immigration.

The study, which was carried out by the Dr. Doeblin Society for Economic Research, showed that a majority of those surveyed had some level of distrust for official statistics. Two thirds said they were sceptical over the factuality of immigrant statistics in particular. Unemployment and the amount of public debt statistics were also both questioned by a large majority, Die Welt reports.

The study breaks down the respondents by age and shows that the group most sceptical of the government are those who are of an advanced age.

Another study conducted by Infratest Dimap shows that traditional institutions are also facing a crisis of public confidence. Many in the public are becoming increasingly sceptical of not only the government but the church and trade unions. One major institution that still enjoys a massive 90 per cent trust is the police force who Germans see as largely trustworthy.

Despite this trust, one report revealed the police in Cologne were told by the government to actively cover up the extent of the 2015/2016 New Year’s Eve sex attacks.

The confidence in the media is also relatively low, except for public broadcasters with 61 per cent of respondents finding them trustworthy. The daily newspapers are trusted by 47 per cent while private broadcasters are trusted by around 20 per cent.

The supporters of the anti-mass migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) trust the media the least with 59 per cent of them feeling the term “lügenpresse” or “lying press” is an accurate description of some outlets. In the general population, around half think the press is under some form of government control.

An analysis of the Institute of the German Economy (IW) claims the distrust most benefits anti-mass migration populist parties, like the AfD, across Europe. The IW says that already one in six European parliament MEPs belong to populist parties. Globalism, mass migration, and a growing gap between elites and the ordinary people are also cited as factors for the rise of populism across Europe.

The IW cites specific scandals such as when former executives at Deutschebank and Volkswagen received huge retirement packages despite their companies’ terrible performances or scandals, while ordinary Germans were being put out of work by foreign competition and automation.

Dutch populist politician Geert Wilders described the situation last year as what he called the Patriot Spring. Wilders said, “The values of the middle classes with their common sense, rooted in the traditions and morals passed down by their parents, were undermined and ridiculed by the mindless political correctness of the educational system, the government apparatus, and the mainstream media.”

“The economic prosperity of the people was squandered by high taxes, foolish monetary experiments, and bailouts for foreign countries. ‘Our nation first’ became ‘our nation last’.”