Community Life Explored in Depth - Kassel locals report feeling the most content.
In Kassel, a survey shows that people living in this city believe themselves to be the happiest among German city dwellers. Kassel comes first in a list of the 40 largest cities with over 200,000 inhabitants, as found in the "Happiness Atlas" by the South German Lottery (SKL). More than 50% of Kassel's residents are content with their lives, while only 3.5% expressed dissatisfaction, which means roughly one out of every 29 people in Kassel.
According to the "Happiness Atlas," other finalists include Erfurt and Aachen. Frankfurt, however, places 34th. Although Frankfurt is wealthy, safe, and family-friendly, almost every fifth resident is not satisfied with their life there.
The report by the South German Lottery takes various aspects into account, such as purchasing power and infrastructure, to measure the quality of life. Frankfurt falls into the upper middle range in terms of quality of life. However, the number of very content residents is small, and the number of dissatisfied residents is relatively high.
The Institute for Demoscopy Allensbach conducted a survey of 25,557 residents in the period between January 2021 and April 2024. Since all cities were surveyed at the same time, the outcomes are not influenced by COVID-19. The results are based on how residents perceive their quality of life, and not on any objective criteria like income, infrastructure, or green spaces.
When the Happiness Index is compared with the objectively chosen indicators, it appears that the inhabitants of well-ranked cities are more satisfied than they should be according to measurable factors. As per the survey leader, Bernd Raffelhüschen from the University of Freiburg, "The top of the happiness ranking is mostly made up of smaller, quiet cities." These places are typically not particularly wealthy or exceptionally high in welfare indicators. Instead, they often have a small-town atmosphere, a student population, and are quite calm. They also have an abundance of green spaces and clean air.
In contrast, cities that should rank first based on the "Happiness Atlas" objective criteria, such as Munich, Freiburg im Breisgau, and Karlsruhe, are in the middle to poor places in the ranking.
The factors that have the strongest impact on life satisfaction, according to the findings, are cities with excellent family and education policies. This is followed by healthcare, purchasing power, and environmental quality. A higher gross domestic product, more cultural and leisure opportunities, and better transportation infrastructure are less significant, the survey suggests.
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- Despite placing 34th in the "Happiness Atlas," Frankfurt, located in the state of Hesse, is known for its wealth, safety, and family-friendly environment.
- According to the survey by the South German Lottery (SKL), Rostock is one of the cities considered in the happiness rankings, along with Erfurt, Aachen, and Frankfurt.
- In a list of 40 municipalities with over 200,000 inhabitants, Erfurt and Aachen rank as finalists, while Frankfurt falls behind.
- Kassel, with over 200,000 inhabitants, tops the list of the happiest cities in Germany, based on a survey by the South German Lottery (SKL) and the Institute for Demoscopy Allensbach.
- Karlsruhe, despite being considered a city with excellent family and education policies, falls into the middle to poor places in the happiness ranking, according to the "Happiness Atlas" findings.
- City dwellers in Wiesbaden, Frankfurt's neighboring city, might be interested to know that Kassel, located only 80 miles away, reports the highest percentage of content residents above other German cities.
- The SKL, a prominent organization in Germany, conducts the "Happiness Atlas" survey, taking various aspects into account, such as purchasing power, infrastructure, and healthcare, to measure the quality of life in German municipalities.
Source: www.stern.de
