Kassel remains the happiest city in Germany – Where are Krefeld and Co.?

Kassel remains the happiest city in Germany – Where are Krefeld and Co.?

Current studies show that life satisfaction among people in German cities is an important issue. In its comprehensive study, the SKL Happiness Atlas has clearly identified the top performers: Kassel not only remains the happiest city in Germany, but also boasts an impressive 7.44 points on a scale from 0 to 10. According to information from stern.de, the study shows that 56% of Kassel's population consider themselves highly satisfied, while only 3% are seriously dissatisfied.

What is exciting in this context is that Kassel defends its place at the top ahead of the cities of Krefeld and Düsseldorf, both of which also have a high level of life satisfaction. Krefeld, with a score of 7.39, has recorded a positive development in population satisfaction despite economic challenges. Düsseldorf follows in third place with 7.36 points. These cities impress with a young, student population and an above-average feeling of prosperity, which is clearly reflected in the surveys, as well as on skl-gluecksatlas.de are set out.

The top ten at a glance

• Kassel – 7,44 Punkte
• Krefeld – 7,39 Punkte
• Düsseldorf – 7,36 Punkte
• Aachen – 7,33 Punkte
• Münster – 7,24 Punkte
• Hamburg – 7,21 Punkte
• Erfurt – 7,27 Punkte
• Mönchengladbach – 7,22 Punkte
• Duisburg – 7,20 Punkte
• Leipzig – 7,11 Punkte

But not all cities can boast such values. Karlsruhe, despite its high quality of life (first place in the quality of life ranking), only comes in 38th place in terms of satisfaction with 6.61 points. A similar picture is shown in Wiesbaden, which, with 39th place and 6.45 points, has the unhappiest citizens in a wealthy city. At the end of the scale is Rostock, which is considered to be at the bottom with 6.08 points. The gap between the happiest and the unhappiest is becoming increasingly clear, as well rp online reported.

What constitutes satisfaction?

Factors such as good relationships, social connectedness and a pleasant living situation are crucial for the well-being of the population. Particularly in North Rhine-Westphalia cities such as Krefeld and Düsseldorf, life satisfaction is promoted by fewer people living alone, larger apartments and easily accessible green spaces. These aspects were also of great importance during the pandemic, as access to nature and recreational areas was perceived as more valuable.

The SKL study on life satisfaction in Germany is based on around 24,000 surveys since January 2022. It became clear that cities with higher unemployment rates and low incomes, such as Krefeld, are also considered “overperformers” in terms of life satisfaction. These results make it clear that it is not always just financial factors that determine people's satisfaction, but also the social environment and personal lifestyle.

Overall, the SKL Happiness Atlas shows that life satisfaction is growing in Germany, but it is very unevenly distributed. While Kassel shines, Rostock and other cities with severe economic disadvantages are at the other end of the spectrum. It remains to be seen how these trends will develop in the coming years - one thing is certain: the topic of life satisfaction will continue to concern us.