More than half of Germans generally have a negative view of the influence of Schufa. This was the result of a recent survey conducted by the opinion research institute Civey on behalf of selbstauskunft.de. Only 14 percent see Schufa's influence positively, 55 percent negatively. Schufa's image is particularly poor among middle-aged people aged between 30 and 39. Here, 71% of respondents rate Schufa's image as negative.
At the same time, 60% of respondents stated that they do not consider Schufa's method for determining creditworthiness to be appropriate. Compared to March 2023, this proportion has risen by 6 percentage points. Only 16% of respondents consider Schufa's approach to be appropriate. This is 5 percentage points less than in March 2023.
Frank Drescher, CEO NLTS Global Analytics: "The results of the current survey confirm the need for transparency and fairness in the credit agency sector. Consumers want a better understanding of their financial situation. The majority of Germans have reservations about Schufa and its evaluation methods. However, the aim is to set standards for a fairer credit rating and to help consumers make informed financial decisions. SCHUFA should therefore put its money where its mouth is now at the latest. The recent decision of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) shows that the legislator also sees a need for action here. The fact that Schufa "welcomes" this decision is nothing more than PR-speak. The ruling is rightly a red card for companies that make automated decisions about people. And a death blow for Schufa's corresponding B2B product. To explain: due to such automated decisions, poorer people, for example, often have higher-priced electricity tariffs and therefore pay more than richer people. This should now slowly come to an end."
Appendix
Methodological tips for journalists
Since March 23, 2023, Civey has been continuously surveying a constantly renewing sample of 5,000 German citizens aged 18 and over for NLTS Global Analytics. The results are representative due to quotas and weightings, taking into account the respective statistical error. Find out more about Civey's methodology now
About Civey
Civey is the pioneer of digital market and opinion research in real time. We collect and analyze data continuously and combine traditional statistics with artificial intelligence. Our representative snapshots and monitoring help you to better understand markets, trends and positions. Find out more about Civey now.
About selbstauskunft.de
NLTS Global Analytics is one of the largest legal tech providers in Europe. With selbstauskunft.de it is possible to request your SCHUFA data very easily. The service is aimed at groups of people who cannot or do not wish to complete the application themselves and prefer an uncomplicated service. This often includes non-native speakers, for whom the application for a SCHUFA self-disclosure is considerably simplified.
Responsible in terms of press law:
Frank Drescher, MBA, CEO
NLTS Global Analytics s.r.o.
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