AfD Hits 29 Percent in Latest INSA Poll – Highest Since German Federal Election

A new poll by German research institute INSA shows the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) at 29 percent – its highest reading since the federal election in February 2025. The AfD leads all other parties by 7 percentage points, ahead of the governing CDU/CSU at just 22 percent.

Full Poll Results

The INSA survey published on 16 May 2026 shows:

• AfD: 29 percent (+8.2 pp since federal election 2025)
• CDU/CSU: 22 percent (–6.5 pp)
• Greens: 14 percent (+2.4 pp)
• SPD: 12 percent (–8.5 pp)
• Linke: 10 percent (+1.2 pp)
• BSW: 3 percent
• FDP: 3 percent (below 5% threshold – no Bundestag seats)

For comparison: at the federal election on 23 February 2025, the AfD received 20.8 percent. Since then, the party has gained approximately 8 percentage points.

AfD Leads by Widest Margin Since Election

The gap between the AfD and the governing CDU/CSU has never been wider since the federal election. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU/CSU falls to 22 percent – its weakest reading since taking office. The governing coalition of CDU/CSU and SPD combined reaches only 34 percent, far short of a parliamentary majority.

The AfD's surge comes despite the so-called "firewall" (Brandmauer) maintained by all other parties, which excludes the AfD from any coalition government. This means that despite leading in polls, the AfD cannot form a government – deepening Germany's political deadlock.

SPD at Historic Low

At 12 percent, the SPD is at a historic low – having lost almost half its vote share since the February 2025 election, when it received 20.5 percent. As junior coalition partner to the CDU/CSU, the Social Democrats face mounting pressure from within their own ranks to differentiate themselves more sharply from the conservative-led government.

Context: Polls vs. Reality

Individual polls are not election results. INSA is known for producing higher AfD figures than other pollsters – the average across several current institutes puts the AfD at around 27 to 28 percent. Nevertheless, the trend is consistent: the AfD is rising, and the governing parties are losing support across all polling firms.