Press releases

The city of Aachen is among the ten most digitally advanced major cities in Germany. In the Smart City Index 2026 published on Tuesday (September 8) by the digital association Bitkom, Aachen ranked 10th with a score of 85.5 out of 100. A total of 83 major cities across Germany were evaluated. This marks a six-place improvement for the city compared to last year and propels it into the top 10 of the nationwide digital ranking.

Aachen’s Mayor, Dr. Michael Ziemons, is pleased with this outstanding result: “Aachen demonstrates that digitalization is particularly successful when it is viewed not as an isolated project but as a cross-cutting initiative. Making it into the top 10 is a testament to the many digitization projects being implemented in city administration, infrastructure, and mobility in collaboration with academia, the business community, and the city’s residents.”

Particularly Strong: Energy and Environment, and Mobility
Aachen achieved its outstanding result in the Energy and Environment category. With 84.7 points, Aachen ranked second nationwide, improving its position by 22 places compared to the previous year. Among other things, the city received particularly high marks for its smart street lighting, digital heating planning, and environmental monitoring. Aachen scored 100 points in each of these areas. Its charging infrastructure and the proportion of low-emission buses also received above-average ratings. The result underscores the importance that digital technologies now hold for sustainable urban development: data and digital infrastructures provide the foundation for tracking energy consumption, monitoring environmental trends, and driving the municipal transition toward sustainable heating and mobility in a data-driven manner.

Aachen is also among the top performers in the area of mobility. With 94.0 points, the city ranks 7th. In addition to digital parking, smart traffic management also received particularly high marks. In the administration category, Aachen scored 89.9 points and ranked 19th. Aachen performed particularly well in payment systems, online appointment scheduling, handling citizen concerns, and the service portal—the city achieved a perfect score in all four areas. There is still room for improvement in the area of IT and communication. Here, Aachen scored 76.2 points and ranked 49th. The picture is mixed: Aachen has very good 5G coverage with 99.8 points, scored 100 points for its geoportal, and 95 points for its open data portal. Broadband expansion is also rated comparatively well, with 88.9 points. In other areas, such as the expansion of the fiber-optic network, the index provides valuable insights into future priorities for digitalization efforts.

10th place is a milestone—not the finish line
. By breaking into the top 10, Aachen reaffirms its status as one of Germany’s leading digital cities. “Tenth place is a major success for us—but no reason to rest on our laurels. The Smart City Index clearly shows where Aachen is already strong and where we need to keep working. Our goal remains digitalization that creates tangible added value in people’s everyday lives: in government, in mobility, in climate protection, in education, and in civic participation,” says Dr. Frank Dillmann, Head of the IT Management and Digital Government Division.

The Smart City Index will be compiled for the eighth time in 2026. Bitkom assesses the digital transformation of major German cities across five areas: public administration, IT and communications, energy and the environment, mobility, and society and education. This year’s analysis is based on 14,442 data points, 39 indicators, and 174 parameters. Compared to last year, the city has moved up six spots to 10th place. Aachen is followed by Stuttgart, Munich, Hamburg, Nuremberg, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Hanover, Bochum, and Leipzig.

Further information: Smart City Index 2026 – Bitkom