The Contented City of Prague

Prague ranks among cities where overall life satisfaction prevails. 71% of Praguers are satisfied with their lives, while only one in ten is dissatisfied. However, between 2020 and 2022, the proportion of people who view their lives positively declined slightly—the period was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and a sharp rise in energy prices.

“We conduct the survey among Prague residents on a two-year cycle, but we prepare the comprehensive study itself once every four years. A team of about ten people is involved in the analysis, which is why a study is not produced after every individual survey. The aim of the publication is not only to clearly interpret the most recent results but also to place them within a long-term trend and show how the opinions of Prague residents change over time. The analysis also includes a look at the differences between individual groups of respondents,” says Nina Dvořáková from the IPR Prague Office of City Analysis.

Foreigners are key to Prague

About a quarter of Prague’s population today consists of people of foreign nationality. Their numbers have risen in recent years, partly due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the arrival of refugees. It was precisely this experience that experts asked about in the survey of Prague residents. It turned out that 58% of respondents view the arrival of refugees as a problem for the city, although this proportion has decreased slightly compared to 2022. Conversely, 23% of people see it as an opportunity, similar to two years ago. Yet foreigners are crucial for Prague, not only demographically but also economically. They often fill professions where there has been a long-term shortage of workers, and without their presence, the city’s population would likely stagnate or even decline.

Prague should build municipal housing

Prague residents are mostly satisfied with their housing. 74% rate it positively, and the assessment of its size is similarly favorable. The biggest weakness, however, is money: only 38% of residents report satisfaction with their monthly housing costs. People with low incomes, as well as tenants and subtenants, feel the greatest pressure. The data also reveal a significant gap between what people want and what is realistically available to them. Less than one-fifth of Prague residents can afford their preferred rental housing, and only 7% can afford to buy their preferred apartment. It is therefore not surprising that residents expect the city to play a more active role. More than two-thirds consider investment in affordable housing to be insufficient, and more than half believe that Prague should itself ensure the construction of municipal apartments.

Climate change doesn’t worry Prague residents that much

It may surprise you, but the proportion of Prague residents who consider climate change a real threat has been declining in recent years. While in 2017 the figure was 72%, now only 55% of residents consider it a real risk. Prague residents who stated in the survey that they would be willing to change their daily habits most frequently mentioned recycling, limiting car use in favor of public transit or bicycles, and efforts to raise children with an environmental focus. At the same time, interest in technological solutions such as electric mobility is also waning; today, only about one-fifth of Prague residents are considering it, most often young people, those with higher incomes, or those concerned about the impacts of climate change.

“The survey results indicate a worsening perception of the availability of public amenities and, at the same time, a decline in satisfaction with the capacity of elementary schools. There has also been a long-term decline in Prague residents’ involvement in community life, and the assessment of the accessibility of their place of residence by bicycle has also worsened. In the area of climate, a shift in attitudes is evident. A smaller proportion of residents than before perceive climate change as a threat, and the share of those considering purchasing an electric vehicle in the future is also declining,” adds Nina Dvořáková.

How is public administration faring?

Prague residents are not particularly enthusiastic about the quality of public administration. At the city level, roughly a quarter of respondents are satisfied with the activities of the City Hall and local government. People are even more critical of the information provided about new development projects and the opportunity to participate in urban planning. City districts fare better. In fact, roughly two-fifths of Prague residents are satisfied with the functioning of local offices and local government. One area, however, falls short: the quality of building authorities. In addition to the assessment of public administration, the data also reveals a clear message regarding the city’s investment priorities. Prague residents would unequivocally appreciate greater investment in affordable housing.

Prague vs. Europe

The study also includes a comparison of Prague residents’ opinions with the attitudes of residents in 82 other European cities, using data from the Quality of Life in European Cities survey, which was conducted for the European Commission by the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy. However, this is a different survey, so individual indicators may differ from the findings of the IPR Prague survey.

In this comparison, Prague ranks among the cities with the highest levels of satisfaction with life in the city and took first place in the assessment of job availability. On the other hand, interpersonal trust is a weaker point. Only 48% of respondents trust their fellow citizens, which places Prague among the twenty worst-rated cities in Europe. Satisfaction with the affordability of housing is also very low. Approximately one-quarter of residents are satisfied, reflecting long-standing tensions in the local housing market. Public transportation shows very good results, with 87% of respondents viewing it positively.

Quality of life through the eyes of 2,000 Prague residents

Two thousand Prague residents participated in the survey, making the results generalizable to the entire Prague population excluding children. Data collection was carried out in the fall of 2024 by the external research agency ppm factum. All findings provide an important basis for public debate and for city decision-making. They are used in strategic and spatial planning, in evaluating the goals and indicators of strategic documents, and in assessing the sustainable development of the region.