Kassel has once again taken the crown as Germany’s happiest city, according to the newly released SKL City Ranking 2025, which measured life satisfaction in the country’s 40 largest cities. Scoring 7.44 out of 10, Kassel not only retained but widened its lead over other cities, marking it as a standout urban hub where residents report high personal well-being and contentment.
The study, conducted on behalf of the Süddeutsche Klassenlotterie (SKL) and evaluated by economist Bernd Raffelhüschen of the University of Freiburg, highlights Krefeld (7.39) and Düsseldorf (7.36) as the next happiest cities. At the bottom of the list are Karlsruhe (6.61), Wiesbaden (6.45), and Rostock, which ranked last with a score of 6.08.
While many might assume that wealth, employment, and infrastructure directly lead to happiness, the SKL study shows otherwise. In fact, the distribution of satisfaction across the population plays a far more significant role.
“If many people are extremely satisfied, but just as many are deeply dissatisfied, the city’s average score suffers,” explains Raffelhüschen.
This is precisely where Kassel shines: it doesn’t just have happy residents, it has consistently happy residents across the board. Cities like Kassel benefit from balanced living conditions, moderate economic diversity, and a strong sense of community cohesion, all of which contribute to a more even distribution of well-being.
The survey also found that cities with stark contrasts in living conditions, such as high-income enclaves next to low-income neighborhoods, tend to rank poorly. This explains why major metropolitan areas like Frankfurt am Main (35th) and Berlin (37th) find themselves toward the bottom despite offering world-class infrastructure and economic opportunities.
The biggest surprise may be Munich, often cited as one of the best cities in Germany in terms of quality of life. Despite its economic prosperity and excellent public services, it placed only 27th in the SKL happiness ranking. Karlsruhe, similarly prosperous, performed even worse at 38th.
Interestingly, cities like Erfurt and Duisburg, which face higher unemployment and lower average income levels, ranked surprisingly high. Their success is attributed to a more communal atmosphere, student presence, and family-oriented culture, proving that happiness is less about economic status and more about everyday lived experiences and social cohesion.
Generally, cities with more than 400,000 inhabitants showed lower average satisfaction compared to smaller cities. However, there were key exceptions:
These results show that larger cities can still promote happiness when urban planning, cultural life, and access to services are well-managed and inclusive.
The 2025 results point to a positive national trend: In most cities, happiness scores increased compared to the previous year, while only a few saw declines. Overall, the increase averages 0.13 points. The study is based on surveys conducted from 2022 to 2025 with over 23,500 participants aged 16 to 78, and is part of the broader SKL Glücksatlas series that tracks life satisfaction across Germany. Notably, the 2021 COVID-19 pandemic year was excluded from the evaluation to ensure a more stable, representative dataset.
The SKL City Ranking 2025 reinforces a clear message: happiness in cities is less about economic indicators and more about equity, cohesion, and shared satisfaction.
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