Long-Term Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Life Satisfaction of University Students in Germany

This thesis analyses the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the life satisfaction of students in Germany one year after the start of the pandemic. The motivation for this thesis is the lack of studies to date that analyse the long-term effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on life satisfaction. In a difference-in-difference design, I compare the development of German students who were in their first year of university during the start of the pandemic (N=522) with a group of students who started their studies without Covid-19 (N=1,163). Furthermore, the impact of the pandemic on different demographic groups was analysed. The results indicated a negative effect of the pandemic on the life satisfaction of students in Germany. The analysis revealed that the effects of the pandemic were more pronounced in males than in females. Migration background and parental education did not exert a significant influence on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on life satisfaction. Finally, this thesis examines various aspects that influence life satisfaction.