People in Hamburg are Germany's happiest

The happiest Germans live in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, according to the 2020 Happiness Atlas published by Deutsche Post. People in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein have scored an overall satisfaction rate of 6.92 points on a scale of one to ten, which is well above the national average of 6.74 points. This might be due to a mix of north German calm, proximity to water and strong gales. Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria followed while Thuringia came last with 6.50 points. The results are based on a survey of 4,660 people in  Germany from March to June during which the Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein region were combined for the first time. 

Around 70 per cent of respondents said the corona crisis will allow the economy to become even more sustainable. Many want to focus on life's essentials during the crisis. Around 83 per cent said the crisis has shown that family and friends are important to them. Some 60 per cent of Germans said they need less to live on. Well over half (65 per cent) expressed concern about climate change.

The pandemic is having a noticeable impact on satisfaction among Germans. The restrictions on social, economic and private life have resulted in the lowest overall satisfaction rate since 2004. The happiness index came to only 6.74 points in 2020 compared to a record high of 7.14 points in 2019. A large proportion of Germans are optimistic about the future despite corona. Most of those surveyed expect their level of satisfaction in 2021 to reach a level similar to that of 2019. Every second respondent said the corona crisis has strengthened social cohesion.

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