The results of the children's survey were presented to the youth welfare committee on Monday afternoon. The results show that the children surveyed are very satisfied with Stuttgart. Children expressed the highest level of satisfaction with their living environment and their own school as well as sports facilities and libraries.
Maria Haller-Kindler, Children's Commissioner of the City of Stuttgart, is delighted with the results: "I am very happy about the high level of satisfaction of the children, which is reflected in the survey results. The very good rating of the living environment shows that most children feel comfortable where they live, and that is fortunate. At the same time, I am inspired by the issues that the children name critically. They touch on elementary children's rights to protection from violence, to safety in traffic and in urban areas, to a clean and liveable environment and to genuine co-determination. We will continue to do everything we can to ensure this."
Almost 80 percent of children are doing well
School stress the biggest burden
A large majority of 79% state that they are mostly doing well or even very well. They cite school stress and bullying/cyberbullying as the main causes of stress. School stress is perceived much more frequently among older children than in elementary school.
"At the next children's assembly in April 2026, we will therefore specifically address school stress and bullying at school and enable children to talk to those responsible," says Haller-Kindler.
Need for improvement in safety, cleanliness and cycle paths
The children surveyed were most dissatisfied with cleanliness, cycle paths and safety in the city. When it comes to safety, the children refer in particular to road safety: they would like to see fewer cars and safe routes for pedestrians and cyclists. "Threatening people" in public spaces, for example "drunks", were also mentioned critically.
Well on the way to becoming a child-friendly municipality
A total of 1,760 children in grades 3 to 6 took part in the digital survey between May 20 and June 26, 2025. The aim of the survey is to make the children's view of their city visible and to support Stuttgart's further development into a "child-friendly municipality". The survey focused on general satisfaction, leisure activities, well-being and co-determination, all of which are important aspects of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The most important results of the survey were discussed in four school workshops in order to better interpret them and derive wishes.
At the beginning of November, the state capital held a mid-term meeting with the Child-Friendly Communities Association, which is supported by the German Children's Fund and Unicef Germany. The experts from the Child-Friendly Communities Association gave a positive mid-term review of the implementation of the 2024-2026 Action Plan for Child- and Youth-Friendly Communities.
Living children's and young people's rights in everyday life
Dominik Bär, Managing Director of the association Kinderfreundliche Kommunen e.V., said of the measures implemented and still to be implemented in the municipality: "Stuttgart is an impressive example of how children's and young people's rights can be put into practice in everyday life. With projects such as the 'Nachtboje', safe retreats are created that enable young people to participate in nightlife without worries. At the same time, the children's city plans are being further developed together with the children so that their perspectives, favorite places and needs become visible and they can actively help shape their living space. In this way, Stuttgart combines safety, participation and children's rights in an exemplary way and sends a strong signal for a child-friendly city. We look forward to accompanying the city on this journey and supporting its progress."
