It is widely known what people in Prague think about Brno, but what do people in Liberec, Třeboň and Ostrava think? And most importantly, what do people who live here think? The City of Brno has been asking these questions regularly for several years now, in public opinion surveys. What do this year’s results show?
The two surveys related to the perception of the city of Brno were conducted in the spring of 2025: one among Brno residents over 18 years of age (The Character of the City of Brno in the Attitudes of Its Residents), the other on a sample of the adult population of the entire Czech Republic (The Image of Brno in the Opinions of Residents of the Czech Republic).
How is Brno perceived by its residents?
This year’s sociological survey of Brno residents, being conducted for the 5th time, selected 1,012 respondents from various age and socioeconomic groups. The questionnaire focused on how much they identified with the city, their satisfaction with the quality of life in the city, trust between people, and the image of the city. The results of the research, which was first carried out in 2009, confirm the long-term positive view of Brno from its residents, and their strong loyalty to the city. The vast majority of Brno residents are satisfied with life in their city and increasingly cannot imagine living anywhere else.
“93% of respondents are satisfied with Brno as a place where they live, work or study,” said Brno city councillor for participation, Petr Bořecký. “More than 70% of respondents also said that they would not want to move from the city – this is the highest share we have recorded since 2017, when the question was first asked. This is a strong signal for us that people perceive Brno as a high-quality and promising place to live.”
The research also shows that people perceive Brno as an open, cultural university city with a great atmosphere and a rich selection of leisure activities. The most frequently mentioned advantages were the architecture, monuments, cultural life, university environment and availability of recreation.
On the contrary, people cited the lack of access to housing, transportation, safety, and social issues as problematic areas. Nevertheless, the share of those who do not perceive any problems and focus on the positive aspects of the city has increased.
Positive changes were also recorded in subjective health perceptions – three quarters of respondents rate their health as good, which is an increase compared to the previous survey. Improved satisfaction ratings are also evident in most of the areas of quality of life surveyed, including culture, leisure opportunities, and cleanliness of public spaces.
“The survey results are valuable feedback for us and a basis for further decision-making. They confirm that the issues of affordable housing or adaptation to climate change, which the city has been dealing with for a long time, really bother people,” added Bořecký.
What image does Brno have in the Czech Republic?
The results of the complementary research The Image of Brno in the Opinions of the Czech Republic Residents , which was conducted this spring on a representative sample of residents of the entire Czech Republic, confirm that Brno is perceived as a university and cultural center with a rich offer of monuments and activities. Up to 85% of respondents agreed that Brno is a city of universities, and 82% appreciate its shopping opportunities.
The things people most commonly associate with Brno include exhibition centres and fairs, historical monuments (Petrov, Špilberk, Old Town Hall), the Brno Dam, and Starobrno beer. Universities, the MotoGP and Masaryk Circuit, and Brno’s Hantec dialect were also often mentioned. Over time, Brno has become increasingly connected in people’s minds with modern architecture, Villa Tugendhat, and other significant buildings in the city, which is one of Brno’s major tourism themes.
Although the overall image of the city remains largely positive, there was a slight decrease in almost all areas assessed compared to 2022 – most significantly in statements related to the city’s modernity, friendliness towards seniors, and attractiveness for entrepreneurs. There was the lowest agreement with the statements that it is easy to drive in Brno or that there is a good offer of affordable housing. However, Brno continues to have a high appeal among inhabitants of the Czech Republic; more than half of the Czech population has visited in the past, and almost a fifth have some kind of direct connection to the city. Overall, these results suggest that Brno has a strong brand, but one that needs to be further developed.
The research was conducted on 1,033 people, who were selected to form a representative sample of the adult population of the Czech Republic.Both surveys are part of long-term monitoring of the quality of life in Brno and also monitor the implementation of the #brno2050 strategy. If you want to give your opinion on the quality of life in Brno, you can do so via the City of Brno’s emotional map.
