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Germany SPD: Latest polls, election results and positions

Election Trend
13.6 %
-2.8 since the last election
Last Election
16.4 %
Election 2025 · 120 Seats
3-Month Trend
+1.7
Three months ago: 11.9 %
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Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands at a glance

Social Democratic Party of Germany S&D
Flag of Germany Germany Social Democratic Europhile Founded 1875

The SPD is a left-wing people's party and Germany's oldest parliamentary force. As a classic social democratic party, it combines social justice with the rule of law and a market economy. It is committed to parliamentary democracy and European integration.

Values and Ideology
The foundation of the SPD rests on the core values of freedom, justice, and solidarity. Their view of humanity is optimistic: they see individuals as emancipated beings who nonetheless rely on a robust welfare state to achieve genuine equality of opportunity. The state acts as an ordering force, mitigating social hardship and securing prosperity through redistribution and strong labor rights. Historically, the party sees itself as a bulwark against extremism and an engine of social progress.

Political Priorities
The SPD's agenda focuses on securing the welfare state, ensuring fair wages, and promoting strong worker co-determination. Their core demands include affordable housing, stable pensions, and a fair tax policy designed to place a greater burden on higher earners. While traditionally targeting employees and trade unions, their appeal has long expanded to include the urban middle class and academic communities. A central tension remains balancing the ecological transformation of industry with the preservation of industrial jobs.

Role in the Political System
The SPD acts as a governing force and an "anchor of stability" in the center of the political system. Its strategy is geared towards compromise and participation in government, making it a natural partner for various coalition models. Institutionally, it is firmly rooted in the Basic Law (German constitution). Its strategic dilemma often lies in distinguishing itself from more radical left-wing forces on one hand, and the bourgeois center on the other, while striving to maintain its claim as a broad-based people's party in a fragmented political landscape.

AI-generated texts based on editorial guidelines

Political Alignment
Conservative
Social
SPD
Market
Progressive

Your position in comparison

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Current poll values in the Election Trend Party positions compared

SPD: Regional polls and election results

Share 32.0 %
Baden-Württemberg Next Election: 2031 Poll 7.0 % +1.5 Last Election 5.5 % Election 2026 Bavaria Next Election: 2028 Poll 6.8 % -1.6 Last Election 8.4 % Election 2023 Berlin Next Election: 2031 Poll 12.0 % -0.1 Last Election 12.1 % Election 2026 Brandenburg Next Election: 2029 Poll 20.0 % -10.9 Last Election 30.9 % Election 2024 Bremen Next Election: 30 May 2027 Poll 20.0 % -9.8 Last Election 29.8 % Election 2023 Hamburg Next Election: 2030 Poll 29.0 % -4.5 Last Election 33.5 % Election 2025 Hessen Next Election: 2028 Poll 15.0 % -0.1 Last Election 15.1 % Election 2023 Lower Saxony Next Election: 26 September 2027 Poll 26.0 % -7.4 Last Election 33.4 % Election 2022 Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Next Election: 2031 Poll 32.0 % -3.5 Last Election 35.5 % Election 2026 North Rhine-Westphalia Next Election: 25 April 2027 Poll 17.0 % -9.7 Last Election 26.7 % Election 2022 Rhineland-Palatinate Next Election: 2031 Poll 19.0 % -6.9 Last Election 25.9 % Election 2026 Saarland Next Election: 18 April 2027 Poll 27.0 % -16.5 Last Election 43.5 % Election 2022 Saxony Next Election: 2029 Poll 6.0 % -1.3 Last Election 7.3 % Election 2024 Saxony-Anhalt Next Election: 2031 Poll 9.3 % ±0.0 Last Election 9.3 % Election 2026 Schleswig-Holstein Next Election: 18 April 2027 Poll 15.0 % -1.0 Last Election 16.0 % Election 2022 Thuringia Next Election: 2029 Poll 6.0 % -0.1 Last Election 6.1 % Election 2024
SPD: poll results and last election results in the federal states
Who leads in the regional Election Trends?
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SPD: Key issues and ideological profile

SPD Other Parties
Main topics of SPD:: Social Affairs (Core Topic), Economy (Core Topic), Environment (Important Topic), Migration (Important Topic), Society (Minor Topic)

SPD: What does the party stand for? Positions compared

Position 2024 Position 2019

Economy & State

Should income and wealth be redistributed? Advocates moderate redistribution in favor of social justice. Stance
How should the state manage its available budget? Leans slightly more towards investment than saving. Stance
Should the local economy be protected? Represents a balanced position between trade and protection. Stance

Society & Values

What is more important: freedom or security? Seeks balance between freedom and security. Stance
Should the equality of women be promoted? Supports measures to promote equality. Stance
Should LGBTQ+ equality be advanced? Largely supports equality. Stance
Should same-sex marriage be allowed? Largely supports same-sex partnerships. Stance
What role should religions play in politics? Views religion as a personal but socially relevant matter. Stance
Should policy focus on urban or rural areas? Favors urban development promotion. Stance

Environment & Globalization

What is more important: environmental protection or economy? Weights environmental protection slightly stronger than economic growth. Stance
What is more important: climate protection or economy? Weights climate protection slightly stronger than economic growth. Stance

Migration & Integration

How should immigration policy be regulated? Holds a balanced position between openness and control. Stance
How should immigrant integration be shaped? Views integration as a two-way process. Stance
Should ethnic minorities be granted more rights? Supports additional rights for disadvantaged groups. Stance
What role should nation-states play? Advocates international cooperation beyond national interests. Stance

Democracy & Institutions

How should power be distributed? Supports checks and balances and shared decision-making power. Stance
How independent should the judiciary be? Advocates a completely independent judiciary without political influence. Stance
How should the state be organized: centralized or federal? Tends towards a more centralized administration. Stance
Positions of SPD: Should income and wealth be redistributed? Advocates moderate redistribution in favor of social justice. How should the state manage its available budget? Leans slightly more towards investment than saving. Should the local economy be protected? Represents a balanced position between trade and protection. What is more important: freedom or security? Seeks balance between freedom and security. Should the equality of women be promoted? Supports measures to promote equality. Should LGBTQ+ equality be advanced? Largely supports equality. Should same-sex marriage be allowed? Largely supports same-sex partnerships. What role should religions play in politics? Views religion as a personal but socially relevant matter. Should policy focus on urban or rural areas? Favors urban development promotion. What is more important: environmental protection or economy? Weights environmental protection slightly stronger than economic growth. What is more important: climate protection or economy? Weights climate protection slightly stronger than economic growth. How should immigration policy be regulated? Holds a balanced position between openness and control. How should immigrant integration be shaped? Views integration as a two-way process. Should ethnic minorities be granted more rights? Supports additional rights for disadvantaged groups. What role should nation-states play? Advocates international cooperation beyond national interests. How should power be distributed? Supports checks and balances and shared decision-making power. How independent should the judiciary be? Advocates a completely independent judiciary without political influence. How should the state be organized: centralized or federal? Tends towards a more centralized administration.
All parties compared

SPD in Europe

Political Alignment
Conservative
Social
Market
Progressive
SPD

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Political group in the European Parliament
S&D
European party
Party of European Socialists
How is Europe developing? Election Trend for the EU Parliament
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SPD: Who votes for the party? The electorate in detail

Voter Profile
Conservative
Social
Market
Progressive

The chart shows the self-assessment of a random sample of SPD voters from the PolitPro Community.

Party's Stance Voters in the PolitPro Community

Economy & State

Should income and wealth be redistributed?
Pro redistribution Against redistribution
How should the state manage its available budget?
Invest Reduce debt and cut taxes
Should the local economy be protected?
Free global trade Protection of local economy

Society & Values

What is more important: freedom or security?
Maximum Freedom Security
What role should religions play in politics?
Separation of Church and State Close link between Church and State
Should policy focus on urban or rural areas?
Focus on Cities Focus on Rural Areas

Environment & Globalization

What is more important: environmental protection or economy?
Environmental protection more important than economic growth Economic growth more important than environmental protection
How close should cooperation with Russia be?
No Cooperation Close Cooperation
How close should cooperation with China be?
No Cooperation Close Cooperation
How close should cooperation with the US be?
No Cooperation Close Cooperation

Migration & Integration

How should immigration policy be regulated?
Open Strict
How should immigrant integration be shaped?
Multicultural society Homogeneous society
Should ethnic minorities be granted more rights?
More rights Fewer rights
What role should nation-states play?
Open world without borders Strong nation-states

Democracy & Institutions

How should the state be organized: centralized or federal?
Federalism Centralization

How to read the data
We asked voters of every party in the PolitPro community where they stand on a range of political issues. The bars show the range of positions held by SPD supporters. The shorter the bar, the more united SPD voters are on that issue. Where available, a circle also marks the party position as determined by academic research.

Data and methodology: where the figures come from
The figures come from responses given by SPD supporters on the PolitPro platform. While this data does not meet the criteria of a classic representative random sample, the large number of responses offers precise insights into the priorities and values of the party's active voter base.

SPD: Election results in Germany since 1945

2025 23 February 2025 Worst result Vote share 16.4 % -9.3 Seats 120 -86 2021 26 September 2021 Vote share 25.7 % +5.2 Seats 206 +53 2017 24 September 2017 Vote share 20.5 % -5.2 Seats 153 -40 2013 22 September 2013 Vote share 25.7 % +2.7 Seats 193 +47 2009 27 September 2009 Vote share 23.0 % -11.2 Seats 146 -76 2005 18 September 2005 Vote share 34.2 % -4.3 Seats 222 -29 2002 22 September 2002 Vote share 38.5 % -2.4 Seats 251 -47 1998 27 September 1998 Vote share 40.9 % +4.5 Seats 298 +46 1994 16 October 1994 Vote share 36.4 % +2.9 Seats 252 +13 1990 2 December 1990 Vote share 33.5 % -3.5 Seats 239 +46 1987 25 January 1987 Vote share 37.0 % -1.2 Seats 193 -9 1983 6 March 1983 Vote share 38.2 % -4.7 Seats 202 -26 1980 5 October 1980 Vote share 42.9 % +0.3 Seats 228 +4 1976 3 October 1976 Vote share 42.6 % -3.2 Seats 224 -18 1972 19 November 1972 Best result Vote share 45.8 % +3.1 Seats 242 +5 1969 28 September 1969 Vote share 42.7 % +3.4 Seats 237 +20 1965 19 September 1965 Vote share 39.3 % +3.1 Seats 217 +14 1961 17 September 1961 Vote share 36.2 % +4.4 Seats 203 +22 1957 15 September 1957 Vote share 31.8 % +3.0 Seats 181 +30 1953 6 September 1953 Vote share 28.8 % -0.4 Seats 151 +20 1949 14 August 1949 Vote share 29.2 % Seats 131
SPD: Election results in Germany since 1945 1949: 29.2 %, 1953: 28.8 %, 1957: 31.8 %, 1961: 36.2 %, 1965: 39.3 %, 1969: 42.7 %, 1972: 45.8 %, 1976: 42.6 %, 1980: 42.9 %, 1983: 38.2 %, 1987: 37.0 %, 1990: 33.5 %, 1994: 36.4 %, 1998: 40.9 %, 2002: 38.5 %, 2005: 34.2 %, 2009: 23.0 %, 2013: 25.7 %, 2017: 20.5 %, 2021: 25.7 %, 2025: 16.4 %

All elections since 1945 in which SPD participated. Click a row to see election details.

Result of the Federal election 2025 Historical election results at a glance

SPD: Where the party governs today

Leads the government Coalition partner
Historical governments at a glance

SPD in government: the record since 1945

1949 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 Today
Led government Involved in government Not in government
Time in government
43 years • 2 months • 6 days
Share since 1949
29 %
Cabinets led
8

25 years • 5 months • 2 weeks • 6 days

Coalition involvements
5

17 years • 8 months • 2 weeks

Olaf Scholz Scholz 8 December 2021 – 8 May 2025 · 3 years 5 months
416 of 735 seats
Dr. Angela Merkel Merkel IV 14 March 2018 – 8 December 2021 · 3 years 8 months
399 of 709 seats
Dr. Angela Merkel Merkel III 17 December 2013 – 14 March 2018 · 4 years 2 months
504 of 631 seats
Dr. Angela Merkel Merkel I 22 November 2005 – 28 October 2009 · 3 years 11 months
448 of 614 seats
Gerhard Schröder Schröder II 22 October 2002 – 22 November 2005 · 3 years 1 month
306 of 603 seats
Gerhard Schröder Schröder I 27 October 1998 – 22 October 2002 · 3 years 11 months
345 of 669 seats
Helmut Schmidt Schmidt III 6 November 1980 – 4 October 1982 · 1 year 10 months
282 of 519 seats
Helmut Schmidt Schmidt II 16 December 1976 – 6 November 1980 · 3 years 10 months
264 of 518 seats
Helmut Schmidt Schmidt I 16 May 1974 – 16 December 1976 · 2 years 7 months
284 of 518 seats
Willy Brandt Brandt II 15 December 1972 – 16 May 1974 · 1 year 5 months
284 of 518 seats
Willy Brandt Brandt I 22 October 1969 – 15 December 1972 · 3 years 1 month
268 of 518 seats

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