Southern Bavaria received third place Tuesday in the 'German happiness rating'. The least happy are the people in Thüringen.  Franconia which is in northern Bavaria made fourth place.

The research is based on a survey from the Institute of Demoskopie Allensbach. The researchers considered various factors such as income, job, family, health and culture into consideration.

Bavaria has the strongest economy, which evidently influences satisfaction in life. The gross income is around 61,000 Euros per household in Bavaria. It is the richest state in the country, according to this study.

The researchers also concluded that religious faith makes people happier. South Bavaria is the only region where more than 25% of those interviewed attend a church on a regular basis.

South Bavaria and Franconia are both very social parts of Germany. In south Bavaria, 48% answered that they are meeting friends at least once a week. In the northern part of Bavaria it was even more.

Stress is the only thing which interferes with the happiness of Bayern's population. The people in South Bavaria feel like they are often or all of the time under pressure. In Franconia almost 40% of people feel this way.