Germany's happiest regions

The recent state elections in the German state of Thuringia saw the far-right AfD win 23 percent of the vote. The party's recent successes has sent shockwaves across Germany, suggesting that there is a deep-rooted sense of frustration in many parts of the country, particularly the east, which is struggling with high levels of unemployment. So where are Germans happiest?

Data released by the country's postal service shows that life satisfaction in Germany is acutally at its highest total level since 1989 - 7.14 points. As the following infographic shows, there certainly is a gulf in life satisfaction between east and west. Schleswig-Holstein had the highest levels of happiness, followed by Hesse. The lowest satisfaction levels were recorded in Brandenburg.