Two Europes on interracial marriage, survey shows

Acceptance of a marriage to a Black person varies widely across European countries. The data circulating show a Europe divided between north and east.

The question is uncomfortable, and that is why it circulates. A post on X shows a chart with the share of people who would approve of their son or daughter marrying someone Black, country by country across Europe. The data depict a continent split in two.

## North and west on top, east at the bottom

In the Nordic countries and in Western Europe the approval rate sits at the top of the table. These are societies where immigration has been present for decades and where anti-discrimination laws have a long track record.

At the other end are several Eastern European countries, with very low percentages. There, non-African immigration has historically been limited and the public debate on racism carries less weight.

## What such a survey really measures

What people tell a pollster is one thing; what they do is another. Surveys on racial attitudes suffer from what is called social desirability: people tend to give the answer that sounds acceptable.

This means that countries with more social pressure not to appear racist may inflate their figures. And those with fewer qualms about saying it may come across worse than they deserve.

## Why the map matters

The chart is not just a curiosity. Acceptance of diversity in the family sphere is one of the toughest indicators of real integration, because it touches private life.

Countries with low figures often also have smaller Black populations, more anti-immigration rhetoric and parties that capitalize on that vote. The correlation is no coincidence.

## A figure with a date and a source

The post that circulated the chart does not always specify the year or the institute that produced it. These figures should be treated with caution: without a known methodology, a percentage is just a blurry snapshot.