Berlin, Mar 22 (IANS): A majority, or 60 per cent, of the people living in Germany said that racism in the country was a "serious problem", according to a new survey published by the research institute YouGo on Monday.

Almost one in two believed that too little was done to combat racism in Germany, Xinhua news agency quoted the survey as saying on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Among German citizens, only 13 per cent reported being victims of racial discrimination, according to the survey.

For people without German citizenship, the number jumped to 46 per cent.

"Racism does not start with violence. It happens in everyday life," said Minister of State for Migration, Refugees and Integration Reem Alabali-Radovan last week.

"We must be vigilant against every form of propaganda, disinformation and conspiracy myths."

Just under one in five people in Germany said they had taken a stand against racism publicly, for example by taking part in a protest, according to the survey.

Younger people between 18 and 24 years were more likely to do so.

"We must intervene when people are racially hostile - on the bus, on the train, or in the queue at the supermarket. We must all be anti-racists," stressed Alabali-Radovan.