Germans say punctuality is on decline even though Gen Z still on time

Most Germans believe that being punctual is no longer as common as it used to be, even though an overwhelming 80% of young people still say they are always on time.

While more than 90% of adults consider themselves to be punctual people, 70% said that the habit was less widespread than it used to be, a YouGov poll commissioned by dpa found.

Germans have gained an international reputation for being punctuality champions, a highly-regarded virtue in the country that used to pride itself on running like clockwork.

But as Europe's biggest economy continues to suffer from a sustained economic slump and tackles long-needed infrastructure updates, people have been struggling to come to the terms with the fact that things are no longer working as smoothly as they used to.

Just ask any German about their feelings on the national railway - which has been taking flak for years over increasing delays.

While it might be easy to ascribe the discrepancy between those who think themselves punctual and the growing belief that punctuality is on decline to a generational divide, the numbers don't exactly tell that tale.

While virtually everyone aged 80 and above considers themselves to be punctual, alongside some 97% of Baby Boomers - those aged between 61 and 79 - some 81% of Gen Zers, or those aged between 18 and 28, still said they were punctual people.

For the survey, YouGov polled 2,060 adults between December 15-17, 2025.

Neuropsychologist and time researcher Marc Wittmann explains that people often tend to overestimate their own performance when it comes to things like being on time or driving properly - another German virtue.

"The vast majority think their driving is above average, which statistically is impossible," he said.

The driving skills of most people are average, which is not a bad thing, Wittmann notes.