Suche
Mein Konto
Erlangen in decline: downward trend shocks city and citizens!
Erlangen-Höchstadt: Downward trend in the 2025 city ranking shows challenges for the Huguenot city and its future.
Erlangen in decline: downward trend shocks city and citizens!
A current assessment of the performance of German cities shows that: Erlangen a certain downward trend. According to the ranking, published on December 5, 2025, the negative development is explained by specific factors that are examined in more detail in the study.
Erlangen, a city in Bavarian Middle Franconia, has steadily grown in importance with a population of 120,356 (as of June 30, 2025). Nevertheless, the city remains the smallest among the eight large cities in Bavaria. It was historically important for the settlement of the Huguenots after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. This is seen as part of their cultural identity, which still shapes them today. The city lies on the Regnitz River, which divides Erlangen in half, and forms an urban fabric with cities such as Nuremberg and Fürth, while being part of the European Metropolitan Region of Nuremberg, as Wikipedia holds on.
Quality of life and challenges
A current study by PwC among working people shows that city life is valued by many people: nine out of ten city dwellers feel comfortable where they live. The top cities for quality of life are Munich, Nuremberg and Leipzig, where satisfaction is up to 93%. In comparison, cities like Berlin and Essen have rather lower values at 80%.
According to the study, the cultural and leisure activities as well as the high-quality job and educational opportunities in cities like Erlangen are particularly valued. Nevertheless, there is also criticism, particularly of the high traffic congestion and the tense housing market situation, which represents an obstacle for many, as in the results of PwC was determined.
The city administration, under the leadership of Mayor Florian Janik, who has been in office since 2014, has been strongly committed to environmental and sustainability initiatives. These could be crucial for future developments in order to secure the quality of life in Erlangen and reverse the downward trend. Despite the challenges, Erlangen remains a place with a rich cultural life, which also includes the annual Bergkirchweihbier festival, and where institutions such as the Friedrich Alexander University and the Siemens Group play a central role in economic life.
Erlangen's history, which ranges from destruction in the Thirty Years' War to strong industrialization after the Second World War, is still valued by many citizens today. Nevertheless, it is time to take the right measures to put the city back on the road to success in the coming years.