People in Germany are happier than they were last year — Survey

Life satisfaction in Germany has increased significantly over the last year, according to results of a survey published on Tuesday.

The “Happiness Atlas 2024,’’ a regular survey on life satisfaction of Germans, reported that German life satisfaction has returned to the level of the 2010s.

“Germany is back on track for happiness,’’ said Bernd Raffelhüschen, scientific director of the Happiness Atlas and professor at University of Freiburg.

The study reported an average national life satisfaction score of 7.06 points out of 10 – 0.14 points higher than it was last year.

According to the study, people are happiest in the state of Hamburg, which scored 7.38 points.

The northern German state has a particularly strong economy and good healthcare, schools and childcare facilities, a report on the study said.

They were followed by those living in the southern state of Bavaria and the northern Schleswig-Holstein, both of which scored 7.23 points.

Meanwhile, Germany’s least happy residents live in Saarland in the south-west of the country (6.73 points), Berlin (6.63 points) and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

on the Baltic Sea coast (6.17 points).

A total of 12,452 people aged 16 and over were interviewed by the Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research between July 2023 and June 2024

about their general life satisfaction for the study.

The institute also conducted specific interviews on the areas of work, income, family and health with 3,161 people over the age of 16 between February and

April 2024.

In addition, the Berlin-based polling firm Ipsos surveyed 2,000 Germans between the ages of 18 and 65 about differences between the east

and west of the country.