Stuttgart surpasses Cologne in Smart City Index 2025 rankings
In the latest edition of the Smart City Index, a comprehensive analysis of digitalization efforts in German cities, some notable shifts have taken place. The study, supported by Visa, PwC Germany, and Bentley Systems, ranks 84 cities with a population of over 100,000, one more than last year as Cottbus has reached the status of a large city.
Munich remains Germany's smartest city, scoring an impressive 90.2 out of 100 points. Close behind is Hamburg, which follows with 89.6 points. However, the gap at the top is narrowing, with just 2.2 points separating the top 3 cities and 5.5 points between the top 10.
Stuttgart has displaced Cologne from the third spot, scoring 88.0 points. Düsseldorf ranks 6th overall with 85.8 points, and both cities have joined the top 10 this year.
The city with the greatest rise in digitalization in Germany in 2025 is Hannover. The city has moved from 41st place the previous year into the Top 10 of the Smart City Index. Although the exact number of points it achieved is not specified in the provided sources, its significant improvement is clear.
Hamburg achieves the top spot in IT and Communication with 95.7 points. Munich, on the other hand, tops the charts for Society and Education with 96.2 points, and achieves a perfect score of 100 in Mobility.
Baden-Württemberg cities are outperforming the average, with an average of 78.2 points (2024: 74.1 points). Bavaria follows closely with an average of 75.1 points (2024: 72.2 points). Hesse has shown measurable improvement, moving from 64.5 to 72.7 points.
Not all cities have seen such positive trends. Kaiserslautern loses 24 places and is now ranked 68, while Bergisch Gladbach falls 15 places to rank 77. Salzgitter remains at the bottom of the rankings at 83, followed by Remscheid at 82.
The Smart City Index highlights the diverse efforts of committed local representatives and citizens. It underscores the importance of an innovation-friendly procurement process, as advocated by Bitkom. The index also emphasizes the need for the Smart City Stages Plan to be implemented promptly.
The ranking of the 83 German large cities is available as an interactive online map, allowing users to explore the data in detail. Cities such as Aachen, Offenbach, and Bremerhaven have shown significant improvements, rising sharply in the rankings.
As cities become more digital, the bar for a top 10 spot is rising. In 2025, 84.7 points are needed for a top 10 spot, compared to 79.8 points last year. The number of cities considered in the ranking varies greatly between states - there are 30 large cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, but only 5 in Rhineland-Palatinate.
The Smart City Index serves as a valuable tool for cities to benchmark their digitalization efforts and identify areas for improvement. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how the rankings change in the coming years.
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