Millions of Germans refuse to pay broadcasting fees!
In 2024, the Beitragsservice of ARD, ZDF, and Deutschlandradio initiated legal proceedings against millions of households in Germany for not paying the broadcasting fees commonly known as GEZ fees. The number of these proceedings reached 3.7 million cases.
These measures included sending payment reminders and execution orders, with 1.2 million cases resulting in the opening of enforcement cases, indicating strong resistance from these individuals to pay the due fees.
Approximately one in ten households in Germany refused to pay the fees. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia topped the number of proceedings, recording 876,975 cases, of which more than 307,000 cases reached the enforcement stage. In terms of percentage, Bremen led with 10.74% of the population refusing to pay, followed by Hamburg at 9.7%.
This fee funds independent public broadcasting in Germany. Since 2021, the monthly contribution is 18.36 euros, having increased by 86 cents in the last adjustment.
Despite a 1.3% decrease in the number of collection procedures compared to the previous year, the percentage of cases that reached the execution stage increased. Fees are collected through a series of steps: starting with a payment reminder, followed by an official decision to impose fees and a late penalty, then a final warning before the competent authorities begin execution procedures in case of continued refusal.