A huge majority of young people living in Germany don't believe that political engagement can change anything, a survey published on Thursday showed.

The foundation that commissioned the report said politicians were not doing enough to reach out to young people.

The findings come as Germany appears to be headed toward a new general election in February after the collapse of the coalition government.

What the figures showed

Less than one in five of the young people surveyed believed that they can make a difference to any particular cause through personal commitment, the survey by the Verian research institute found.

In the poll of 2,500 representative 16- to 30-year-olds, conducted for Germany's Bertelsmann Foundation, some 38% expressed distrust in politics, with a further third partially expressing the same feeling.

Around 40% assume that social conditions cannot be changed, and almost one in two often feels overwhelmed by the problems in the world.

About half of the respondents said there were insufficient opportunities for young people to participate in politics beyond voting in elections. Many felt there were too many hurdles in the way, stopping them from getting involved.

Fewer than one in 10 said they thought political parties were open to young people's ideas. Only 8% said they thought the political establishment took the concerns of young people seriously.

What could improve the situation?

Despite the extent of disenchantment with political parties, the foundation — which seeks to promote social change by encouraging civil involvement — said a lack of engagement among young people did not arise from a rejection of democracy.

Of those surveyed, it said 61% said they believed that democracy was the best possible form of government despite its weaknesses.

However, almost half said they were unsatisfied with the way democracy works in Germany — a proportion that was higher in the east than in the west.

"Young people would be more politically active if they knew that their efforts were actually having an impact and that their arguments were being heard," said the foundation's expert on youth and democracy, Regina von Görtz.

"This would be their greatest motivation. That is why politicians must do a better job than before of reaching out to young people, valuing their opinions and involving them in decisions."

Issues that were of particular interest to younger people included peace, mental health, education and inflation.

rc/rm (dpa, KNA)