Even 35 years after reunification, a clear majority of voters in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg believe that eastern Germany is lagging behind western Germany. In a survey conducted by the YouGov Institute, 60 percent of respondents fully or somewhat agreed with the statement "Living conditions in West Germany are significantly better than in East Germany". In contrast, 30 percent voted "not at all" or "somewhat".
The institute said it surveyed 1,898 eligible voters in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg between August 9 and 16. According to YouGov, the figures are therefore representative of the respondents as a group, not individually in the three federal states.
