Allensbach Institute

What Allensbach Institute does

The Institut für Demoskopie Allensbach (IfD Allensbach) is a full-service German survey research institute founded in 1947 by Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann and headquartered in Allensbach am Bodensee, with branch offices in Berlin and Bonn. It conducts opinion research, market research, media analysis, social research, and political polling, employing approximately 90 permanent staff alongside roughly 1,200 field interviewers that constitute one of the largest face-to-face field organizations in Germany. The firm's flagship product is the Allensbacher Markt- und Werbeträgeranalyse (AWA), an annual market-media study conducted since 1959 based on approximately 20,000 face-to-face interviews and covering more than 2,000 markets and sub-markets; the Sonntagsfrage weekly political poll, monthly Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports, and the Allensbacher Kurzberichte and Jahrbücher round out the publication portfolio.

Underlying the institute is a proprietary archive (Allensbacher Archiv) containing approximately 6,000 study reports, 140,000+ individual questions and survey models with some trend continuations dating to 1947, and approximately 2,600 publications on survey research methodology, with a complete copy preserved at the Bundesarchiv in Koblenz under a unique cooperation. Revenue derives from a mix of subscription-based recurring income (AWA codebooks and media brochures, FAZ publications), custom commissioned research projects for federal ministries, the Deutsche Bundesbank, the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, major corporates such as BMW and Robert Bosch, industry associations including GDV, and foundations such as Bertelsmann and Deutsche Telekom Stiftung, plus ancillary legal-expert survey work for courts and judicial bodies.

Name

Allensbach Institute

Legal name

Institut für Demoskopie Allensbach GmbH

Website

https://ifd-allensbach.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Allensbach Institute is a German full-service survey research firm founded in 1947, conducting opinion, market, media, and social research for federal ministries, corporates, media companies, and foundations, anchored by its flagship AWA annual market-media study and Sonntagsfrage political polling.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Survey and Opinion Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)

akta.pro primary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Syndicated Market Research (Panels, Omnibus, Tracker Studies) (MPAAALAB), Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF), Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services (BPAHALAJ)

Keywords

• Survey research
• Opinion polling
• Market research
• Media analysis
• Social research

Headquarters

HQ city

Allensbach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Custom Survey Research Projects: Client-commissioned research projects for government agencies, corporations, media companies, associations, foundations, and research institutions. Services include study conception, questionnaire design, sampling, interview execution, analysis, and publication support.
2. AWA Study Subscriptions: Annual Allensbacher Markt- und Werbeträgeranalyse (AWA) available for purchase, including codebook and media brochure. Provides market-media data on consumer attitudes, consumption habits, and media usage.
3. FAZ Monthly Reports and Publications: Monthly articles in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung with full documentation including complete tables. Allensbacher Kurzberichte and Allensbacher Jahrbücher publications documenting survey results.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Allensbach Institute conducts representative opinion, market, media, and social research through face-to-face interviews, telephone surveys, written and online surveys, and qualitative methods such as guided interviews and focus groups. It sells both full-service commissioned research projects and recurring syndicated studies (notably the annual AWA market-media study and the weekly Sonntagsfrage political poll) to government agencies, corporations, media companies, associations, foundations, and research institutions.

Product overview

The Allensbach Institute (Institut für Demoskopie Allensbach) offers a comprehensive suite of survey research services centered around its flagship product, the Allensbacher Markt- und Werbeträgeranalyse (AWA), an annual market-media study conducted since 1959 with approximately 20,000 interviews. The core portfolio also includes the Sonntagsfrage (Sunday Question) polling series for election forecasting, and various publication products including FAZ-Monatsberichte (monthly analyses in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), Allensbacher Kurzberichte (short reports), and Allensbacher Jahrbücher (yearbooks). These are complemented by specialized research services in Media Analysis, Market Research, Social Research, Political Opinion Research, and Legal Survey Expert Opinions, supported by the extensive Allensbacher Archiv with historical survey data spanning from 1947. The institute operates as a full-service survey research provider offering end-to-end services from study conception through presentation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Allensbacher Markt- und Werbeträgeranalyse (AWA) Annual syndicated market-media study first conducted in 1959, based on approximately 20,000 face-to-face interviews covering more than 2,000 markets and sub-markets across categories including Sports/Leisure, Vacation/Travel, Investments/Insurance, House/Home, Computers, Internet, Telecommunications, Automobiles, Fashion, Health, Household, Food, Beverages, and Smoking, plus media consumption across print, TV, radio, internet, cinema, and outdoor advertising. Sold as an annual codebook and media brochure subscription to media companies, advertisers, agencies, and research buyers.
• Sonntagsfrage (Sunday Question) Weekly political opinion poll tracking German federal election voting intentions (Zweitstimmen), with sample sizes and margin-of-error information published alongside the results. Distributed on the institute's site and via Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung; used by media, political parties, and government stakeholders for political sentiment tracking.
• FAZ-Monatsberichte Monthly in-depth analyses on societal and political topics based on current IfD Allensbach survey results, published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung with complete documentation including tables and charts.
• Allensbacher Kurzberichte Irregularly issued short reports presenting notable and surprising results from current IfD Allensbach surveys in a concise format.
• Allensbacher Jahrbücher Yearbook volumes documenting survey results across multiple years, covering more than six decades of German history with trend analyses spanning from the founding of the Federal Republic; latest volume covers 2003–2009.
• Custom Survey Research Services End-to-end commissioned survey research service covering study conception, questionnaire design, sampling, field execution by trained interviewers, analysis, and publication support, delivered to government agencies, corporations, media companies, associations, foundations, and research institutions. Covers market research, media analysis, social research, and current political opinion research.
• Umfragegutachten für die Rechtspraxis (Survey Expert Opinions for Legal Practice) Survey expert opinions and court-admissible testimony prepared for the legal sector, covering public attitudes on legal matters and providing expert opinions on survey methodology for use in legal proceedings.

Quantifiable outcome

• AWA 2026 covers 2,000+ markets and sub-markets through 20,000 face-to-face interviews
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bundesarchiv KoblenzcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1947As the only German survey research institute, IfD Allensbach maintains a cooperation agreement with the Federal Archives in Koblenz. A complete copy of the Allensbacher Archiv holdings is preserved there, ensuring long-term archival preservation of Germany's survey research heritage dating back to 1947.
• ADM (Arbeitskreis Deutscher Markt- und Sozialforschungsinstitute)minorOthersProfessional membership in ADM, the German association of market and social research institutes.
• BVM (Berufsverband Deutscher Markt- und Sozialforscher)minorOthersProfessional membership in BVM, the professional association of German market and social researchers.
• ESOMARminorOthersGlobal membership in ESOMAR, the international association for market, social, and opinion research.
• WAPOR (World Association for Public Opinion Research)minorOthersMembership in WAPOR, the world association for public opinion research.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Forsa Politik- und Sozialforschung: Berlin-based German market and opinion research institute running its own regular political polling (Politbarometer for ZDF) and corporate/administration studies. Closest direct head-to-head competitor on German public opinion polling and custom ad-hoc research.
• INSA (Institut für Neue Soziale Analysen): Coburg-based opinion research institute publishing the prominent INSA-Meinungstrend for Bild. Comparable to Allensbach on political opinion polling, syndicated trend tracking, and political/journalistic brand positioning in Germany.
• DIMAP (Institut für Markt- und Politikforschung): Berlin-based political research institute producing political polls for German broadcasters (e.g., ARD-DeutschlandTrend). Comparable on political opinion polling methodology, syndicated trend delivery, and journalistic/public-sector client base.

Emerging players

• Civey: Berlin-based digital market and opinion research firm using online panels for political and consumer studies. Competes with Allensbach on German public opinion polling (Sonntagsfrage) and consumer research, particularly where speed-to-result is decisive.
• Statista (Statista GmbH): Hamburg-based data and statistics platform providing syndicated market, consumer, and media data. Adjacent competitor on publishable market data products and on media/audience research datasets used by German enterprises.
• YouGov Germany / YouGov plc: Online panel-based research firm with strong German footprint, competing on cost and speed in syndicated and custom research. Represents the digital/methodological counter-position to Allensbach's traditional face-to-face model.

Broad incumbents

• GfK (now part of NIQ/NielsenIQ): Historically the dominant German market and consumer research institute and the most direct counter-position to AWA in media/consumer panels. Directly comparable on syndicated consumer/media measurement and custom ad-hoc research in the German market.
• Ipsos Germany / Ipsos Group: Global market and opinion research group with significant German operations. Competes with Allensbach on multi-country ad-hoc research for large enterprises and public-sector research, and overlaps on syndicated public opinion studies.
• Kantar (Germany): Global research group offering media measurement, consumer insights, and public opinion research. Direct overlap with Allensbach's media/audience research and political opinion work, particularly the media-and-advertising analysis category.

Others

• GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences: Germany's leading academic survey infrastructure provider (with ALLBUS, GLES, European Values Survey). Adjacent competitor and partner in social/methodological research and shared as a research institution client of Allensbach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Allensbach Institute