According to a recent European Commission study assessing quality of life, Groningen has emerged as the third-most satisfying city among 83 European cities surveyed.

An impressive 96 percent of Groningen's residents expressed satisfaction with their lives. Topping the list were Zurich, with a 97 percent satisfaction rate, and Copenhagen, which narrowly clinched second place.

Conducted last year, the study engaged over 71,000 participants across these cities, ensuring at least 839 respondents per city. In the Amsterdam metropolitan area, around 92 percent expressed contentment, while approximately 90 percent in the greater Rotterdam region shared a similar sentiment.

Groningen also excelled in other categories, ranking fourth among favorable cities for foreign immigrants, and fifth for LGBTQI-friendly living, trailing Cardiff, Lisbon, and Braga in the former, and Zurich, Reykjavik, Copenhagen, and Munich in the latter.

Specifically, Groningen secured second place in satisfaction with cultural amenities, quality of public spaces, healthcare availability, and fostering trust among residents. Additionally, it claimed fifth place for safety during nighttime walks and sixth for satisfaction with green spaces.

All three Dutch cities demonstrated a high reliance on bicycles for daily commuting. Groningen and Amsterdam claimed the top two spots, while Rotterdam secured fourth. Rotterdam residents also expressed the third-highest satisfaction with public transport, while both Groningen and Amsterdam had among the lowest percentages of daily car users.

Amsterdam stood out for residents' confidence in receiving material assistance during times of need and satisfaction with healthcare accessibility. However, the capital lagged considerably in terms of being a family-friendly city, ranking 74th out of 83 cities.

The study highlighted that education correlated with residents' contentment, noting a moderate increase in satisfaction with higher levels of education. Age-wise, slight increments were observed among residents over 55 compared to other age brackets.

The survey encompassed at least one city from each European Union country and featured cities outside the EU in Albania, Iceland, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

Groningen represented one of 15 cities with populations under 250,000, while 19 cities had populations ranging from 250,000 to 500,000. Additionally, 18 cities housed populations between half a million to a million, whereas the Amsterdam and Rotterdam metropolitan areas were among the 26 cities with over a million residents but fewer than five million. Only five cities with populations exceeding five million were part of the survey. Photo by Alexwaltner, Wikimedia commons.