According to the survey, 45% of respondents said their sense of security has decreased, but only 15% feel safer than they did five years ago. Nothing has changed in the sense of security over the past five years for 38% of Germans, and 2% refrained from answering.
Up to 52% of German residents do not feel safe at train stations, INSA said.
The survey was conducted from August 15-16 with a total of 1,003 respondents. The margin of error is not provided.
Media has reported that more than 80% of German residents would support a ban on carrying knives in public places after a spike in knife attacks.
On May 31, a high-profile incident involving a knife attack occurred in the city of Mannheim. An Afghan citizen, Suleiman Atai, assaulted a well-known critic of Islamism, Michael Sturzenberger, with a knife during a demonstration organized by the right-wing PAX Europa group. As a result, six people were injured, and a policeman later died of wounds sustained.