Germans are more satisfied than ever before. That’s the conclusion of the ninth “happiness atlas,” a survey carried out by Freiburg University on behalf of Deutsche Post.

Germans’ average contentment rated 7.14 compared with 7.05 the year before.

The most satisfied Germans (7.44) lived in the northern regional state of Schleswig-Holstein, while those in the eastern state of Brandenburg (6.76) were the least happy. But the differences in contentment between western and eastern Germans are shrinking: 0.17 points in 2019 compared with 0.19 the previous year.

Researchers attribute the rise in satisfaction to low unemployment, relatively high wages and a generally good health situation.

In another study, carried out by the Boston Consulting Group, Germany ranked as the twelfth most satisfied country internationally.