Augsburg inspires: Happiness Atlas 2024 discovers the happiest Germans!

Augsburg inspires: Happiness Atlas 2024 discovers the happiest Germans!

Augsburg is identified in the new Happiness Atlas 2024 as one of the cities with the happiest people in Germany. The survey, carried out by the Süddeutsche Kassenlotterie (SKL), has been examining where people live happiest since 2011. In this latest evaluation, the city of Augsburg, which is located in Swabia, Bavaria, achieved remarkable results - and is therefore well ahead of the Bavarian capital Munich.

The Happiness Atlas study shows that the city of Kassel is considered the happiest city with a score of 7.38. Augsburg secured seventh place with 7.20 points. This survey is based on responses from over 25,000 people surveyed between January 2021 and April 2024 to assess their overall happiness in life. Respondents were able to indicate how satisfied they were on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 meaning “completely satisfied”.

Augsburg's place in the happiness ranking

Overall, the SKL not only evaluated the subjective assessments, but also took objective quality of life factors such as income, infrastructure and availability of green spaces into account. However, Augsburg only ranked eleventh in this objective analysis, which indicates that certain aspects that promote life satisfaction are not determined solely by material conditions.

In comparison, Munich performed less well. With a score of just 6.75, the Isar metropolis landed in 24th place out of a total of 40 cities. Despite their high living standards and economic strength, which placed them first in objective factors, this result shows that economic success does not necessarily lead to higher happiness.

Factors for life satisfaction

A striking finding of the study is that it is not material values ​​alone that are decisive for satisfaction. The SKL emphasizes that the highest life satisfaction is often found in urban environments that offer safe, family-friendly and green spaces. This is reflected in the high ranking of cities like Erfurt, which are not among the richest but still achieve high satisfaction ratings.

This feedback shows that factors such as good family and education policies and accessible healthcare are crucial for citizens' well-being. The results are a clear indication that the quality of life in cities is not only shaped by the economy, but above all by social cohesion and the living spaces offered.

Augsburg, as a shining example of life satisfaction, shows that a city in which people feel comfortable is also able to promote the satisfaction of its citizens. These trends raise interesting questions about what makes a city livable and how these factors might evolve in the future.

For more information about the latest results and deeper insights into the Happiness Atlas methodology, see the current reporting on www.merkur.de.