Government Report on Wellbeing in Germany

Abstract

With its “Wellbeing in Germany – what matters to us” initiative, the federal government is turning its attention to the issue of wellbeing. It is designed to provide a benchmark for effective policymaking. But how do people define “wellbeing”? The government initiated a national dialogue to find the answer to this question. It revealed that people have a very broad and diverse view of what constitutes wellbeing. Based on this dialogue and the findings of other national and international research projects and discussions, the federal government selected 12 dimensions and 46 indicators in order to describe and measure the current status and trends in wellbeing in Germany. The indicators will be updated on a regular basis and are tagged accordingly ‎(last update: January 2018). Family, health, education, work and income are dimensions of wellbeing that have a direct impact on “our life”. Safety, mobility, accommodation and social cohesion are all part of “our surroundings”. A strong economy, clean environment, freedom and equality, peace and Germany's global responsibilities are all dimensions that have an impact on “our country”.