Life satisfaction in MV at a historic low: Alarming figures!

Life satisfaction in MV at a historic low: Alarming figures!

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania the mood is anything but rosy. According to the current “Happiness Atlas”, the federal state has achieved the lowest life satisfaction in Germany. With a regrettable score of just 6.06 points, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania occupies last place in the state ranking, and the gap to Saarland, the penultimate, has continued to grow. The scale ranges from 0 (not satisfied) to 10 (completely satisfied) and makes it clear that the quality of life in this region leaves a lot to be desired. Men over 60 and single people who are dissatisfied with this living environment are particularly affected. These findings should not be underestimated, because the “Happiness Atlas”, for which a total of 13,905 people aged 16 and over were surveyed between July 2024 and June 2025, provides important information about people's state of mind.

A closer look at the results shows that life satisfaction in Mecklenburg, at 5.88 points, is even lower than the already low value in Western Pomerania (6.75 points). The nationwide average, however, is 7.15 points, which is a clear indication that something is going wrong in MV. At the top of the ranking is Hamburg with 7.33 points, followed by Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate, both of which achieved a value of 7.21 points. But North Rhine-Westphalia also remains in the upper range with 7.19 points.

The causes of dissatisfaction

The reasons for low life satisfaction are varied. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, low satisfaction correlates closely with an overall poor quality of life. Factors such as income, gross domestic product and property ownership rates are all below the national average. Unemployment and the comparatively high average age are certainly not exactly helpful either. Another alarming result is income satisfaction: While the average nationwide is 6.60 points, in MV this value is only 5.67 points. These figures make it clear that many people in the region feel uncomfortable not only with their living situation, but also with their financial security.

In addition, the survey shows that only 25.4% of those surveyed in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are considered highly satisfied, while nationwide there are almost twice as many people who classify themselves as happy (48%). At the same time, 22.7% of residents in MV express their dissatisfaction, compared to only 8% in the other federal states.

Future challenges

The results of the “Happiness Atlas” not only represent the current situation in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, they also raise questions about how the quality of life can be improved in the future. Local decision-makers are faced with the challenge of improving living conditions for citizens and focusing more on the needs of the increasingly dissatisfied population. It is clear that a rethink is necessary here in order to bring Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania out of its shadow.

The issues of work, leisure and family situations should also not be neglected. These factors were also measured in the survey, and their results were consistently below the national average. It remains to be hoped that those responsible can respond to these worrying trends and develop future measures that can actually contribute to a sustainable improvement in the quality of life in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.