Result
„When I think of Germany at night, I am deprived of sleep“, is how Heinrich Heine began his Night Thoughts in 1844. Many citizens probably feel the same way when they think of their country. Not even one in two think their home country is worth living in, only around one in three think it is safe, prosperous or economically strong and only one in four agree with the statement that Germany is friendly to foreigners. Even fewer Germans feel that the country is friendly to children or senior citizens, only one in five and one in six respectively. In a 10-year comparison, all values fell. The values for transport, safety, economy and environment as well as friendliness towards foreigners and older citizens fell particularly sharply.
Reasons
One of the main reasons for the negative image is the perceived uncertainty. In recent years, numerous reports about wars and disasters, challenges and problems have increased the fears of many citizens. The climate crisis and social changes, including integration problems due to increasing migration, can also contribute to a feeling of being threatened and overwhelmed. This is reflected in the low scores for environmental friendliness, safety and friendliness towards foreigners.
However, this is sometimes just a perceived perception that does not always correspond to actual developments. Numerous indicators show a clear improvement in many areas. For example, the unemployment rate has been at a historic low for years and the employment rate has reached record levels, which points to a stable economy. Accordingly, Germany remains one of the strongest economies in the world. In addition, although over 5.9 million crimes were committed in 2023, this was around 150,000 fewer than in 2014. The increase in the crime clearance rate by almost four percentage points - to over 58 per cent - also indicates an improved security situation. Progress has also been made in the area of environmental policy: Germany has set itself ambitious climate targets and is investing massively in renewable energies, thereby promoting environmental friendliness. Furthermore, more and more measures are being introduced to support older people, such as the expansion of care services and programmes for senior citizens. However, all these positive developments are often overshadowed by subjective fears or media coverage, which explains the discrepancy between the perceived and actual situation.
Forecast
There is no doubt that Germany will face major challenges in the future. In order to tackle these constructively, the discrepancy between Germany's objective attractiveness and the subjective perception of its citizens must be reduced and a rethink must take place. The positive developments in numerous areas must be better communicated in order to increase citizens' confidence in the quality of life in their country.
Germany will continue to maintain its leading role in the global economy and in the environmental sector, while at the same time the internal security situation will be further improved through effective measures and even higher intelligence rates. With better integration and increased social cohesion, aspects that are currently perceived as problematic, such as migration and integration, will also be better managed. As a result, the quality of life in Germany will not only remain objectively high, but will also be perceived subjectively.
And in the future, almost every country in the world will envy Germany for its comprehensive transport network, its high level of security, its impressive economic strength, its free education, its protective social systems and its attractive residential areas. Accordingly, more citizens will once again consider their country worth living in and realise that there is nowhere else they would rather work, live and reside than in Germany.
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