Ulm is the most livable city in Germany
Ulm is the most livable city in Germany according to the new ranking by consulting firm Prognos for the "Handelsblatt". Cities in the south of the republic follow on places two to five: Munich, Ingolstadt, Erlangen and Regensburg. The two eastern German cities of Jena and Chemnitz are particularly dynamic in their development.
Prognos evaluated all 71 free cities with over 100,000 inhabitants each based on 28 parameters and considered ecology, mobility, social issues, labor, and digitization. Examples include rent levels, salary levels, or the number of kindergarten places. The ranking not only reflects the current situation but also the dynamics at the latest point in time.
Ulm in Baden-Württemberg convinced Prognos with "a measurably good development of renewable energies, above-average medical care, and good traffic safety, which has significantly improved in recent years," according to Prognos. Small metropolises with up to 200,000 inhabitants performed well. Among the top ten are Munich and Leipzig, which are the only two cities with over 500,000 inhabitants.
According to Prognos, cities in the south are particularly strong in terms of the status quo, while eastern German cities are excelling in their positive development. "Eastern German cities score particularly well with affordable rents and many kindergarten places," said Bernhard Wankmüller from Prognos to the "Handelsblatt". Furthermore, the population in eastern German metropolises is growing, unlike in many rural regions in Eastern Germany.
Problems are recognizable in some industrial cities in Western Germany, as both the status quo and the dynamics show. For example, Saarbrücken and Wuppertal rank on places 60 and below. Fourteen of the 20 cities with the lowest ranking in the overall ranking are in North Rhine-Westphalia. The last place is held by Oberhausen.
Ulm, being the most livable city in Germany as per Prognos' rankings, is located in Baden-Württemberg. Despite its status, cities in the eastern part of Germany, like Jena and Chemnitz, are showing remarkable dynamism in their development.
