en
Przegląd Europejski – European Studies Quarterly

Classical determinants versus new dynamics: explaining happiness in Germany’s post-COVID era

2026, 2026, No. 1

Marta Czarnecka-Gallas

0009-0007-9696-649X

University of Gdańsk (Gdańsk, Poland)

Joanna Bednarz

0000-0003-4695-0258

University of Gdansk (Gdansk, Poland)

DOI

10.31338/1641-2478pe.1.26.5

Publication date

28.04.2026

Submission date

29.10.2025

Publishing model

open access

License type

CC BY 4.0 Int.

Field

Social sciences

Discipline

international relations, economics and finance, communication and media studies, political science and public administration, management and quality studies, law, sociology

Language of publication

English

Downloads

PDF 313 KB

Article

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Number of downloads:18

Crossref citations:0

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Abstract

This article examines whether classical socio-economic determinants – GDP per capita, migration background, population density, and city rankings – still explain subjective well-being in Germany, the largest economy in Europe, and how alternative dynamics gained relevance after COVID-19. Using data from the Glücksatlas and regression analyses for the 40 largest cities, the study finds no significant effects of classical factors. Instead, resilience, social support, and institutional trust emerge as central influences. The results highlight the stabilizing role of Germany’s welfare system and point to a broader shift in happiness research toward psychological and institutional dimensions.

Keywords:

Europe,Germany,subjective well-being,happiness determinants,post-COVID dynamics,institutional trust

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