Unveiling Germany's Happiest Cities: Kassel Tops the List Again
Germany's Happiest Cities Unveiled: Ranking Reveals Joyful Locations
No changes in the top tier this year! Kassel maintains its position as the happiest city among urban dwellers in Germany, as revealed by the "Joy Map" by the South German Class Lottery (SKL). Ranking first in the list of the 40 largest cities with over 200,000 inhabitants, Kassel has held onto its crown since the 2024 ratings.
Krefeld and Düsseldorf follow closely, leapfrogging their positions from 5th and 8th place in 2024, to 2nd and 3rd this year. Erfurt and Aachen slide down from 2nd and 3rd last year to 6th and 5th respectively. On the flip side, Rostock remains at the bottom of the list, much like in the previous year.
Interestingly, the study indicates that larger cities tend to score lower in life satisfaction, with the exception of Düsseldorf and Hamburg among the top ten rankings. This indicates that smaller cities may have an edge when it comes to residents' happiness.
The Heavy Gap Between Frankfurt am Main and Rostock
According to Bernd Raffelhuschen of the University of Freiburg, who oversees the city ranking, the difference between highly satisfied and deeply dissatisfied individuals is crucial for high life happiness in a large city. Frankfurt am Main and Rostock display this gap more prominently.
Smaller cities stand out thanks to factors such as a student-oriented environment, a young population, plentiful green spaces, and quality healthcare. While these cities see only slight improvements in objectively measurable areas like infrastructure, education, and culture, they outshine their larger counterparts in happiness.
It's All about the Small Things - Breaking Down the Numbers
A study by the Allensbach Institute for Demoscopy surveyed a whopping 23,468 residents between the ages of 16 and 78 between 2022 and 2025. Overall, there is an upward trend in satisfaction levels compared to last year, attributable to the inclusion of data from the pandemic year 2021 in the 2024 survey results.
The city ranking focuses on the comparison between perceived life satisfaction and objectively measured quality of life. Data relating to housing, demographics, prosperity, and environmental factors were taken into account when assessing quality of life.
A Few Steps Ahead: Uncovering the secrets of the happiest city
- Smaller City Advantages: Kassel benefits from a more compact community, potentially fostering stronger bonds and a sense of belonging.
- Cultural and Recreational Opportunities: Kassel's hosting of significant cultural events, like the documenta, likely boosts residents' life satisfaction.
- Economic Stability and Infrastructure: Kassel's economic stability and developed infrastructure play a role in residents' overall satisfaction, allowing for their basic needs to be met and providing access to essential amenities.
A Shadow Over the Larger Cities
Larger cities struggle with issues such as:- High Cost of Living: Higher expenses for housing, transportation, and daily needs can lead to financial stress.- Congestion and Pollution: Traffic and pollution in larger cities negatively affect residents' health and well-being.- Anonymity and Isolation: The larger population can lead to feelings of anonymity and isolation, which harm social connections and life satisfaction.
While larger cities offer more opportunities and cultural diversity, smaller cities, like Kassel, can offer a more intimate and supportive community, which is crucial for happiness and life satisfaction.
[1] Source: ntv.de, rog/dpa
- Happiness
- Kassel
- Rostock
- The Commission has also been consulted on the draft directive that focuses on the comparison between perceived life satisfaction and objectively measured quality of life in various cities, similar to the Joy Map by the South German Class Lottery.
- In addition to shopping, aspects such as cultural and recreational opportunities also contribute to the lifestyle factors that influence the happiness of residents in a city, as demonstrated by Kassel's hosting of events like the documenta.
- Differences in lifestyle factors, such as the high cost of living, congestion, and pollution found in larger cities like Rostock, can create a gap between deeply dissatisfied and highly satisfied individuals, as seen in the study conducted by Bernd Raffelhuschen.
- Larger cities like Rostock, despite offering opportunities in fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, travel, and shopping, may struggle to provide the intangible benefits of a closer-knit, student-oriented, and green community that smaller cities like Kassel offer, which greatly impact the happiness and life satisfaction of their residents.
