SKL Happiness Atlas 2025: Germany Reaches a Plateau of Life Satisfaction – Hamburg and Bavaria Lead, Mecklenburg Falls Behind

Despite inflation, war, and social challenges, Germany’s life satisfaction has stabilized at a high level. According to the new SKL Happiness Atlas 2025, reported by G.Business referring to the psychology portal GlückID, the average life satisfaction score across the country is 7.09 points on a scale from 0 (“not at all satisfied”) to 10 (“completely satisfied”).

This means Germans are almost as happy as they were before the pandemic. The score is only slightly higher than in 2024 (7.06) and just below the record years of 2016 (7.11) and 2019 (7.14). Despite turbulent times, there is no widespread dissatisfaction. Experts interpret this as a sign of psychological resilience and adaptability among the population.

East Germany gains ground – “happiness gap” narrows

The report highlights an important shift: Eastern Germany is catching up. While life satisfaction in the western states increased only slightly (+0.02 points), eastern Germany, including Berlin, saw a rise of 0.12 points, reaching 6.91.

This narrows the traditional “happiness gap” between East and West to 0.24 points, one of the smallest differences since the 2010s. Researchers attribute this to economic recovery, regional identity, and stronger social cohesion in the East.

Youth happier than seniors

Generational differences are also evident. Young Germans aged 16 to 25 reported higher satisfaction than ever before, improving by 0.11 points compared to the 2010s. In contrast, satisfaction among people aged 61 to 74 declined by 0.09 points, and among those over 75 by 0.07 points.

Psychologists point to changing values: younger generations prioritize freedom, self-determination, and emotional well-being over material wealth. Meanwhile, older citizens face challenges such as higher living costs, reduced mobility, and loneliness.

Income satisfaction drops sharply

While family, work, and leisure satisfaction improved slightly, the income satisfaction score fell for the f irst time since 2022 — by 0.21 points to 6.60.Lower-income households reported the strongest decline (–0.42), while high-income earners saw a small increase (+0.04). The subjective divide between rich and poor is therefore widening, creating emotional stress for many households.

“The middle class feels squeezed from both sides,” says one of the analysts. “People are content with their family life and work conditions, but financial pressure is rising.”

Emotional life intensifies: more happiness, but also more anger and fear

Emotionality among Germans is growing. The share of people who often or very often feel happy has increased from 45% in 2023 to 57% in 2025. However, anger (30%) and fear (22%) are also more frequently reported, while sadnessremains stable.

This emotional polarization reflects a new psychological trend: people are feeling more deeply in both directions – positive and negative.
“Society has become more emotionally aware,” says psychologist Prof. Bernd Raffelhüschen from the University of Freiburg, who leads the SKL study. “People experience joy more consciously, but they also react more strongly to stress and uncertainty.”

Regional overview: Hamburg stays on top

Hamburg continues to be Germany’s happiest region with a score of 7.33, followed by Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate (both 7.21), and North Rhine-Westphalia (7.19).
Thuringia is this year’s big climber (+0.22), while Schleswig-Holstein — once the long-term leader — dropped to fifth place (7.12).

At the bottom of the list remain Bremen (6.89), Berlin (6.83), Saarland (6.78) and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (6.06), which shows the steepest decline in the country.

Table: Life satisfaction by federal state (SKL Happiness Atlas 2025)

Overperformers vs. underperformers

Interestingly, the study reveals mismatches between objective living conditions and subjective happiness.

• Overperformers: Hamburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Schleswig-Holstein – happier than their objective data suggest.
• Underperformers: Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Saarland, and Berlin – objectively high living standards, but lower perceived happiness.

This indicates that happiness is less about income or infrastructure and more about psychological factors such as emotional stability, meaning, and connection.

Methodology

The SKL Happiness Atlas 2025 combines survey data from 13,905 respondents aged 16 and older (Allensbach Institute, July 2024–June 2025) and 5,145 online interviews (Ipsos, June 2025). It measures satisfaction in life areas such as work, family, leisure, and income, as well as emotional states.

The SKL Happiness Atlas is published annually under the scientific direction of Prof. Bernd Raffelhüschen (University of Freiburg) and available via Penguin Verlag and skl-gluecksatlas.de.

The SKL Happiness Atlas 2025 paints a stable yet nuanced picture: Germany remains a fundamentally content nation, though happiness is unevenly distributed. Emotional intensity is rising, younger generations are becoming more optimistic, and financial worries persist in lower income groups.

Overall, Germans demonstrate strong psychological resilience and an ability to adapt to uncertainty — a reminder that emotional well-being often outweighs economic data. Stay connected for news that works — timely, factual, and free from opinion — and insights that matter now: Legal Prostitution in Europe and Germany: Principles, Locations, and Practice