Community life undergoes a transformation: - Aachen residents express greater satisfaction compared to other cities.
In Aachen, residents rate themselves as significantly happier compared to other major cities. This city in western North Rhine-Westphalia ranks third in a list of the top 40 biggest cities with over 200,000 inhabitants. Erfurt and Kassel hold the first and second spots, whereas Rostock, Karlsruhe, and Wiesbaden occupy the lowest positions, as per the "Happiness Atlas" of the South German Lottery (SKL). Five cities in North Rhine-Westphalia rank in the top ten, which include Aachen, Krefeld, Munster, Dusseldorf, and Moenchengladbach.
The survey, conducted by the Institute for Demoscopy Allensbach, interviewed 25,557 residents between January 2021 and April 2024. Since all cities were assessed at the same time, the impact of the Corona pandemic is eliminated. Instead of evaluating objective criteria such as income, infrastructure, or greenery, the survey focused on how residents view their quality of life.
When comparing the happiness index with the chosen subjective indicators by the researchers, people in high-ranking cities reported a greater sense of happiness than what might be expected based on tangible measures. According to Bernd Raffelhüschen, the survey leader from the University of Freiburg, smaller, cozy cities predominantly populate the top of the happiness chart. These places aren't particularly wealthy, nor do they boast exceptional welfare indicators, but they create a small-town and family-friendly atmosphere, often harbor a student environment, tend to be relatively quiet, rich in green spaces, and boast superior environmental quality.
On the contrary, cities such as Munich, Freiburg im Breisgau, and Karlsruhe - which rank highly based on the "Happiness Atlas" objective criteria - are in the middle to poorer positions in the ranking. The researchers discovered that family- and education-friendly policies contribute most significantly to residents' contentment. Next to these, factors such as healthcare, purchasing power, and environmental quality follow in significance, while a higher GDP, increased cultural and leisure options, or better transportation infrastructure have a weaker impact, according to the findings.
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Source: www.stern.de
