Bavaria exudes satisfaction with life: Happiness Atlas 2025 shows successes!

Bavaria exudes satisfaction with life: Happiness Atlas 2025 shows successes!

There is great satisfaction among the people in Bavaria. According to the current “Happiness Atlas”, a project that has been created since 2011 by the University of Freiburg and the South German Class Lottery (SKL), Bavaria ranks second in Germany, with an impressive life satisfaction score of 7.23 points on a scale from 0 to 10. For comparison: the Germany-wide average is 7.09 points. Only Hamburg is ahead with 7.33 points, while Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is at the bottom of the rankings with just 6.06 points. These results come from surveys conducted between July 2024 and June 2025, in which 13,905 people aged 16 and over were surveyed, making the results representative of the groups affected, such as np-coburg.de reported.

Satisfaction is particularly pronounced in the southern regions of Bavaria. People feel particularly comfortable in areas such as the Allgäu and the Munich area. Districts like Dillingen an der Donau and Fürstenfeldbruck are even considered “lucky areas”. This high quality of life is due to numerous factors: a thriving club culture, high income satisfaction, a stable job market and good health care. There is also an increase in satisfaction in the rural areas of Lower Bavaria and it is clear that Bavaria as a business location plays a crucial role br.de supplemented.

Differences in detail

The “Happiness Atlas” also illustrates the regional differences within Bavaria. While people in the south of the Free State are extremely satisfied, Franconia is on average and the Upper Palatinate is at a similar point. There are definitely some challenges: the economic situation, job density and deficits in local public transport influence life satisfaction. A look at the cities of Augsburg and Nuremberg shows that perceived satisfaction does not always correspond to the objective data. The people of Augsburg are generally happier than one would expect, while Nuremberg ranks 33rd among the largest German cities, even though they are objectively ranked 18 places higher. One thing is clear: the leisure and recreational opportunities have an influence here, and Nuremberg needs a big push to catch up. Augsburg, on the other hand, is one of the safest cities in Germany - another reason for satisfaction.

A positive trend can also be seen when comparing life satisfaction before and after the corona pandemic. Although this has brought with it some losses - the low point was reached in 2021 at 6.77 points - but satisfaction has now almost recovered to the level of 2019, where it was 7.26 points. The Bavarian population has recovered faster than in many other federal states, and this is not least thanks to a stable economy and efficiently functioning health care. In contrast, other federal states such as Hesse and Saxony continue to struggle with a decline in life satisfaction, leading to a growing gap between East and West Germany.

Overall, it can be said that Bavarian areas of life such as family, work and income are above the national average, while satisfaction with leisure time corresponds to the average. Another bit of Bavarian happiness - and it delights not only the locals, but also visitors who want to experience the lifestyle in the Free State up close.