Groningen takes third place for best European quality of life

A European Commission study on quality of life put Groningen in third place out of 83 cities for residents' overall satisfaction. About 96 percent of those living in the northern Dutch city said they were satisfied with their life there. Zurich came in first, with 97 percent, and Copenhagen barely took second place.

Over 71,000 people took part in interviews last year for the study, including at least 839 residents of each of the cities on the list. The survey also included the Amsterdam metropolitan area, where roughly 92 percent of residents were satisfied, and the greater Rotterdam region, where about 90 percent are satisfied.

Groningen ranked fourth behind Cardiff, Lisbon and Braga on the list of best cities for foreign immigrants. The Dutch city also took fifth-best for places for LGBTQI people to live. Zurich, Reykjavik, Copenhagen and Munich also scored better.

Groningen scored second place in several categories: satisfaction with cultural facilities, quality of public spaces, available healthcare services, and a sense of trust with other residents. It wound up in fifth for feeling safe when walking alone at night, and sixth for people satisfied with green spaces.

Unsurprisingly, all three Dutch cities scored very high for residents who use a bicycle on a typical day. Groningen and Amsterdam finished in first and second, respectively, while Rotterdam took fourth. Rotterdammers were also third most satisfied with public transport options, while both Groningen and Amsterdam residents were among the ten cities with the lowest percentage of daily car users.

Amsterdam took tenth position for residents feeling they will receive material help in times of need, and eighth place for satisfaction with healthcare availability. However, the capital also ranked very poorly for residents who considered their city to be a "good place for families with young children." Amsterdam wound up tenth from the bottom, in 74th place.

About 67 percent of residents consider Amsterdam to be a good place for families. The study said that "increases to 73 % in Rotterdam and 88 % in Groningen." Rotterdam also ranked in ninth for residents happy with public spaces.

Across all cities, the study noted a trend showing a correlation between education and a sense of being content. "Satisfaction with living in the city appears to increase moderately with the residents’ level of education." The study added, "The differences in satisfaction by age are small," but noted a slight increase among residents over 55 years of age compered to other age groups.

Aside from the Dutch cities, at least one city was represented in each European Union country. Cities outside the EU are based in Albania, Iceland, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

Groningen was one of 15 cities with a population below 250,000, and there were 19 cities with anywhere from 250,000 to 500,000 residents. Another 18 cities have a population from half a million to a million. The Amsterdam and Rotterdam metropolitan areas were among 26 with more than a million residents, but fewer than five million. Just five cities where surveys were conducted have populations over five million.