Top Ranked: Kassel Remains the Happiest City in Germany
Top German Cities Bringing Joy: Ranking Revealed
Large metropolises often struggle to score high in the league of joy. The rankings remain unchanged from last year.
Heavily populated Kassel takes the top spot: Residents of Kassel rank themselves as the cheeriest bunch of city dwellers in Germany, as per the "Life Satisfaction Map" by the South German Class Lottery (SKL). Kassel makes it to the number one spot for the largest cities with a population of over 200k - much like in the year 2024.
Krefeld and Düsseldorf make impressive gains, climbing to the 5th and 8th slots, respectively, after sitting at 5th and 8th positions the previous year. Erfurt and Aachen slip a few ranks, moving from 2nd and 3rd to 6th and 5th spots. Despite the change, Rostock finds itself at the bottom of the list once again, much like in 2024.
The survey shows that city size seems to have a correlation with the happiness of its residents, with larger cities generally scoring lower. Surprisingly, only Düsseldorf and Hamburg, two of the ten largest cities in Germany, manage to crack the top ten in the happiness survey, while smaller cities like Augsburg, Aachen, and Münster find a place on the list. The bigwigs like Munich, Frankfurt am Main, and Berlin slump to the 27th, 35th, and 37th spots, respectively.
Comparing Rostock and Frankfurt am Main: A Tale of Two Cities
Bernd Raffelhuschen of the University of Freiburg, who oversees the city ranking for 2025, states that "an even distribution of satisfaction is critical for a high level of life satisfaction in a large city." Cities like Frankfurt am Main and Rostock, for instance, have a noticeable gap between the very satisfied and the strongly dissatisfied residents.
Smaller cities do well when it comes to aspects like a vibrant student population, young demographics, a lot of green spaces, and excellent healthcare facilities. However, these cities score only marginally above average in objectively measurable categories like infrastructure, education, and culture.
The contentedness survey, conducted on a total of 23,468 residents aged 16 to 78 between January 2022 and April 2025, shows an overall positive trend compared to the previous year, according to the SKL, due to the fact that the 2024 survey still incorporates data from the COVID-19 year 2021.
What Makes Larger Cities Less Cheerful?
- Population Pressure and Stress:
- High population density, common in larger cities, can lead to increased stress levels due to overcrowding, noise pollution, and decreased personal space.
- Cost of Living:
- Larger cities often have higher living costs, including skyrocketing rents, transport expenses, and costly goods and services, which can lead to financial stress.
- Social Isolation:
- Residents of larger cities may feel more anonymous and disconnected from their communities, which can contribute to feelings of loneliness and isolation.
- Traffic and Congestion:
- Traffic and commute times are often longer in larger cities, resulting in increased stress and decreased quality of life.
- Access to Green Spaces:
- Smaller cities may have more accessible green spaces and a closer connection to nature, which is linked to higher levels of happiness. Access to nature might be more of a challenge in larger cities.
- Crime Rates and Safety Concerns:
- Larger cities can have higher crime rates, impacting residents' perceptions of safety and security.
- Urbanization and Pace of Life:
- The fast-paced lifestyle in larger cities can be overwhelming, with constant stimuli and a high level of competition, leading to increased stress.
Although the factors mentioned above may contribute to lower life satisfaction in larger cities, individual experiences may vary significantly based on personal circumstances and preferences.
- In light of the factors influencing resident contentment, one may ponder if the Commission has also been consulted on the draft directive for sustainable living in large cities, considering the significance of factors such as accessible green spaces and reduced crime rates in promoting happiness.
- As the happiness survey indicates that lifestyle choices, including sustainable living practices, could impact the overall well-being of city dwellers, it would be intriguing to see home-and-garden guidelines integrated into the draft directive, promoting a healthier and more harmonious environment that caters to the needs of both residents and the urban ecosystem.
