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Düsseldorf and Leipzig: Latest top cities in the Smart City Index 2025!
Hanover will be one of the top 10 smartest German cities in 2025 according to Bitkom's Smart City Index. Find out more about digital development.
Düsseldorf and Leipzig: Latest top cities in the Smart City Index 2025!
In a world that is becoming increasingly digital, cities are required to become cleverer and smarter. On September 3, 2025, Bitkom published the preliminary results of the “Smart City Index”, which evaluates the digital transformation of major German cities. Düsseldorf, Hanover, Heidelberg and Leipzig have caught up well and catapulted themselves into the “top 10” of the smartest cities in Germany. This is reported by datensicherheit.de and shows how dynamically urban infrastructure is developing.
Compared to the previous year, the ranking has changed significantly. Leipzig made it from 23rd place in 2024 to a proud place in the top 10. Heidelberg and Düsseldorf also improved: from 15th and 17th place to the top ranks. Things went uphill for Hanover after the city was still in 41st place in 2024. In contrast, cities like Dresden, which ranked fifth last year, are now fading out of the top 10.
The ranking at a glance
| rank | City |
|---|---|
| 1 | Bochum |
| 2 | Dusseldorf |
| 3 | Hamburg |
| 4 | Hanover |
| 5 | Heidelberg |
| 6 | Cologne |
| 7 | Leipzig |
| 8 | Munich |
| 9 | Nuremberg |
| 10 | Stuttgart |
The assessment is based on a comprehensive analysis of 13,529 data points focused on five categories: administration, IT and communications, energy and environment, mobility, and society and education. The differences between the “Top 10” cities are minimal, with a range of just 5.5 points in the index value. While the overall average value rose from 52.4 points in 2021 to 70.8 points in 2025, this clearly shows that digital progress in cities has become an integral part of the agenda.
Digital mobility in focus
A clear trend is the increased use of digital technologies in transport. According to Bitkom, 78% of major cities now use intelligent networked traffic lights, while 50% use digital traffic signs. Multimodal apps for route and traffic information are becoming increasingly popular and are used in 57% of cities. The sharing offering has also grown: more and more cities are offering e-scooters, bicycles and car sharing, and the number of ridepooling and ride-hailing services has also increased. These developments reflect the claim of many cities to be not only smart but also future-oriented in terms of mobility.
The full ranking and exact placement of the “Top 10” cities will be published on September 11, 2025. The upcoming “Smart Country Convention”, which will take place in Berlin from September 30th to October 2nd, also promises exciting impulses for the digital transformation of cities and regions. With over 18,000 experts and 650 speakers, this event will be an important forum for exchange about the future of urban living spaces. The Smart City Index is supported by strong partners such as Visa, PwC Germany and Bentley Systems.
The digital future of German cities has begun. And even if some cities have slipped, it remains to be hoped that the trend towards smart cities is not just a snapshot, but a lasting development that will sustainably improve life and mobility in our urban areas. Maybe Cologne is the next destination for advancement in the Smart City ranking - there is definitely something to be said!