Germany vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Share of people who say they are satisfied with their life

Germany
90.3%
in 2016
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
93.1%
in 2016
Germany rank
12th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
10th

Share of people who say they are satisfied with their life over time

  • Germany
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
020406080100197319942016

How they compare

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 93.1% against 90.3% in Germany, a difference of 2.8%.

The two have swapped places 8 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1973 it was United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.

Germany ranks 12th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 10th of 34 countries.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Germany United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Difference Ahead
1970s 82.5% 84.6% 2.1% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1980s 83.8% 85.1% 1.3% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1990s 81.8% 85.6% 3.7% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2000s 81.0% 88.1% 7.2% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2010s 89.1% 91.3% 2.2% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of people who say they are satisfied with their life, Germany or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 93.1% against 90.3% in Germany as of 2016.
What is the difference in share of people who say they are satisfied with their life between Germany and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
2.8%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
42 years are reported by both, from 1973 to 2016.
How do Germany and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for share of people who say they are satisfied with their life?
Germany ranks 12th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 10th of 34 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Eurobarometer (2017) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of people who say they are satisfied with their life. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Germany vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Share of people who say they are satisfied with their life. Statizoid, drawing on Eurobarometer (2017) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-people-who-say-they-are-happy-eurobarometer/germany/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of people who say they are satisfied with their life
Unit
%
Source
Eurobarometer (2017) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
34 places, 751 data points, 1973–2016
Last refreshed

Share of people answering "very satisfied" or "fairly satisfied" to the question "On the whole, are you very satisfied, fairly satisfied, not very satisfied, or not at all satisfied with the life you lead?"