The Bavarian capital will remain Germany’s most digital city in 2025. For the third time in a row, Munich leads the Smart City index from the digital association Bitkom. With 90.2 out of 100 possible points, Munich is just ahead of Hamburg, which improved to 89.6 points, narrowing the gap to just 0.6 points. Stuttgart overtakes Cologne with 88.0 points and completes the podium.
The results show that Munich not only maintains its position at the top overall, but also excels in key categories. In mobility, the city achieves the maximum score of 100 points. Munich also ranks first in society and education with 96.2 points. The city also achieves top scores in administration (93.8 points) and IT and communication (92.6 points). This showcases the state capital as a broadly positioned location that consistently expands digital offerings in various areas of life and offers a strong environment for Munich's startup scene.
Ralf Wintergerst, President of Bitkom, commented:
"Germany's cities are making great strides in digitalization. Smart cities noticeably improve people's quality of life, whether through efficient and citizen-oriented administration, diverse mobility options, or improved environmental and climate protection. And we need a shift in attitude. Digital public services are not a nice-to-have, but a core government task."
Bitkom also calls for the Smart City phased plan from June 2024 to be implemented promptly and for innovation-friendly procurement to be enabled. Municipalities should also be able to benefit more from the digital offerings of startups and small businesses, as these companies often do not even apply for public contracts.
Competition is becoming significantly more intense
While Munich increased its score by 1.9 points, Hamburg gained 5.7 points. The competition between the top cities is now closer than ever. There are only 2.2 points between first and third place, and just 5.5 points between first and tenth. The hurdles for a top 10 ranking have also risen significantly. While 76.6 points were sufficient in 2023, cities had to achieve at least 84.7 points this year. Hanover, Düsseldorf, Leipzig, and Heidelberg were newly placed among the top ten. In contrast, Dresden, Lübeck, and Freiburg dropped out of the top group.
For the Smart City Index 2025, Bitkom examined 83 major German cities with over 100,000 inhabitants using more than 13,500 data points. Key areas such as administration, IT and communications, energy and the environment, mobility, and society and education were evaluated. The data was collected in close collaboration with the cities and validated by Bitkom Research.
The digital transformation of cities, regions and authorities is also a topic of Smart Country ConventionFrom September 30 to October 2, more than 18,000 experts from business, politics, administration, and research will meet at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. More than 650 high-profile speakers will speak on a total of seven stages, including Karsten Wildberger, Federal Minister for Digital and State Modernization, and Karin Prien, Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. The combination of congress, workshops, expo, and networking is aimed at decision-makers and employees from administration, politics, the digital economy, associations, and academia. Further information is available at www.smartcountry.berlin.
