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Life satisfaction 2025: East Germany overtakes West in happiness!
Thuringia 2025: Life satisfaction increases minimally, East Germany closes the happiness gap with West Germany. Learn more!
Life satisfaction 2025: East Germany overtakes West in happiness!
In Germany, life satisfaction increased slightly in 2025. With an increase of 0.03 points, the SKL Happiness Atlas now achieves an average rating of 7.09 on a scale of 0 to 10. This positive trend in life satisfaction can be observed particularly in the east of the country, where the values increased by 0.12 points, while the west has almost stagnated with only 0.02 points. These developments show that the “happiness gap” between East and West Germany has narrowed from 0.34 points in 2024 to 0.24 points now. So reported MDR.
The study, led by economics professor Bernd Raffelhüschen from the University of Freiburg, considers the recovery after the corona pandemic to be “complete”. Life satisfaction in East Germany has now reached a level similar to that in the late 2010s. The research also shows that 48% of Germans are highly satisfied (ratings of 8 to 10), while 44% report moderate satisfaction (5 to 7). Only 8% are strongly dissatisfied. A positive increase from 37% in 2021 to the current 48% highly satisfied speaks volumes about the general mood among the population, such as SKL Happiness Atlas additionally stated.
Regional differences and rankings
The regional satisfaction values show a colorful picture. Hamburg is the happiest city in Germany with 7.33 points, followed by Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate, both of which achieve 7.21 points. North Rhine-Westphalia follows with 7.19 points. In last place are Bremen with 6.89 points, Berlin with 6.83 points and Saarland, which scores only 6.78 points. With 6.06 points, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania remains well behind the other federal states this year. These rankings make it clear that the measurement results for happiness in life are becoming increasingly similar between countries n-tv notes.
Effects of the current situation
Although overall satisfaction has increased, there are also some downsides. Income satisfaction fell by 0.21 points to 6.60 points for the first time since 2022, and the decline primarily affects the lower income groups. Family satisfaction, on the other hand, rose slightly to 7.61 points, but remains behind the pre-pandemic level. Job satisfaction is stable at 7.20 points and shows a complete recovery. Although leisure and family satisfaction has increased, leisure satisfaction remains behind 2020 levels.
The current situation is also influenced by the emotional factors: the increase in positive feelings of happiness has increased to 57%, while anger and fear have also increased. In summary, it can be said that life satisfaction in Germany has seen positive increases, but major challenges cannot be neglected. Life in the German federal states remains an exciting affair - there is still a lot to discover!