diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/7251-gitlab-variables-deleteing-all-variables.yml b/changelogs/fragments/7251-gitlab-variables-deleteing-all-variables.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1c8650edae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/7251-gitlab-variables-deleteing-all-variables.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - gitlab_project_variable - deleted all variables when used with ``purge=true`` due to missing ``raw`` property in KNOWN attributes (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/issues/7250).
+  - gitlab_group_variable - deleted all variables when used with ``purge=true`` due to missing ``raw`` property in KNOWN attributes (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/issues/7250).
diff --git a/plugins/module_utils/gitlab.py b/plugins/module_utils/gitlab.py
index e1786c613e..8c8aab420a 100644
--- a/plugins/module_utils/gitlab.py
+++ b/plugins/module_utils/gitlab.py
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ def gitlab_authentication(module):
 def filter_returned_variables(gitlab_variables):
     # pop properties we don't know
     existing_variables = [dict(x.attributes) for x in gitlab_variables]
-    KNOWN = ['key', 'value', 'masked', 'protected', 'variable_type', 'environment_scope']
+    KNOWN = ['key', 'value', 'masked', 'protected', 'variable_type', 'environment_scope', 'raw']
     for item in existing_variables:
         for key in list(item.keys()):
             if key not in KNOWN:
diff --git a/plugins/modules/gitlab_group_variable.py b/plugins/modules/gitlab_group_variable.py
index 60bdc889b3..23591c3d90 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/gitlab_group_variable.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/gitlab_group_variable.py
@@ -381,6 +381,8 @@ def main():
         group=dict(type='str', required=True),
         purge=dict(type='bool', required=False, default=False),
         vars=dict(type='dict', required=False, default=dict(), no_log=True),
+        # please mind whenever changing the variables dict to also change module_utils/gitlab.py's
+        # KNOWN dict in filter_returned_variables or bad evil will happen
         variables=dict(type='list', elements='dict', required=False, default=list(), options=dict(
             name=dict(type='str', required=True),
             value=dict(type='str', no_log=True),
diff --git a/plugins/modules/gitlab_project_variable.py b/plugins/modules/gitlab_project_variable.py
index 5b3b9396de..a7fd90b347 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/gitlab_project_variable.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/gitlab_project_variable.py
@@ -404,6 +404,8 @@ def main():
         project=dict(type='str', required=True),
         purge=dict(type='bool', required=False, default=False),
         vars=dict(type='dict', required=False, default=dict(), no_log=True),
+        # please mind whenever changing the variables dict to also change module_utils/gitlab.py's
+        # KNOWN dict in filter_returned_variables or bad evil will happen
         variables=dict(type='list', elements='dict', required=False, default=list(), options=dict(
             name=dict(type='str', required=True),
             value=dict(type='str', no_log=True),