According to a new study by Alorix, young people living in Germany have it pretty good in comparison to their contemporaries in other European Union states.

Top European countries for adults, according to Alorix

Which countries offer young people the best quality of life and the opportunity to embrace travel and different cultures? Travel app Alorix has compiled a list of the best and worst European countries for young adults to live in. The ranking looked at the 27 countries in the European Union and compared six main factors to determine their standing:

• What percentage of the average salary is spent on rent in the capital city
• The number of Big Macs that can be purchased with the average salary
• Crime rate 
• Level of education
• Job opportunities
• Happiness index

Using the “Big Mac Index” and these other factors, Alorix’s ranking claimed to “raise awareness about unequal living conditions of young adults among EU state members, which can drastically impact their cultural competence, opportunities and willingness to travel”. The Netherlands claimed the top spot, while Italy was found to be the worst European country for young adults.

Alorix: Germany is the ninth-best European country for young people

As Germany’s ailing economy tanks its international reputation for efficiency, practicality and innovation, and SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil assures the new coalition will prove to young people across the world that the country is still worth living in, what has kept Germany in the top 10 EU states for young people?

One of the main factors was Germany’s low unemployment rate. Of the states included in the study, the federal republic has the fourth-lowest unemployment rate and was praised for “actively implement[ing] retraining programmes and job search assistance to find a job in a short time”. 

Young people in Germany also benefit from northern Europe’s higher average salaries, which “afford [them] more travelling opportunities”, but pay higher average rents than their contemporaries in southern EU states. 

According to the rental index by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, which Alorix used in its study, residents in Germany spend 33,85 percent of their income on rent. But recent figures suggest the future doesn’t look so bright in that regard. A 2024 study by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) found that the number of Germany’s tenants spending over 40 percent of their income on rent has nearly tripled since the 1990s, from 5 percent to 14 percent.

For the McCurious, residents earning the average salary in Germany could buy exactly 436 Big Macs with their money, if they didn’t have to spend it on rent, food, clothes, transport and other daily expenses.

Best and worst European countries for young adults

In all, these are the top five countries for the younger generation:

1. The Netherlands
2. Austria
3. Poland
4. Cyprus
5. Luxembourg

Here are the five worst countries for young adults:

1. Italy
2. Portugal
3. Greece
4. Slovakia
5. France

For more information about the study and to see the full ranking, visit the Alorix website.

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