Prague residents are rather critical of how the capital is functioning. They give the city an overall grade of 3.4 for its management.
Younger residents are somewhat more critical – people under 30 rate the city’s functioning at 2.9, while those over 60 give it a 3.7.
Research available for download here
According to residents, Prague is not making full use of its potential
A significant proportion of Prague residents believe that the city is unable to fully use its economic potential. At the same time, the results show that residents would rather see Prague’s money spent on specific investments and services than simply kept in reserves.
According to the research, the areas where the city should direct more resources include, above all, affordable and municipal housing, transport infrastructure, healthcare and social services, and security.
Bureaucracy is holding back investment
One of the most significant obstacles to Prague’s development, according to residents, is overly complicated administration. Bureaucracy and administrative burdens are identified as a problem by 53% of respondents. The research also points to political disputes, slow decision-making and complex legislation.
Prague residents therefore see the simplification of administrative processes as one of the main ways to improve how the city functions.
Digitalisation should make people’s lives easier
According to the research, digitalisation itself is not automatically seen by Prague residents as a sign of a modern and well-functioning administration. Some residents encounter problems when using digital services, for example due to insufficiently interconnected systems or too many different applications.
People consider better communication with public authorities to be one of the most important areas for further digitalisation. According to the results, the main purpose should be to make it easier to handle matters, rather than simply transferring existing administration into an online environment.
Expertise rather than political connections
When selecting people for the management of city-owned companies, Prague residents place greater emphasis on professional and managerial skills than on political affiliation. They consider professional experience and proven results particularly important.
Six in ten Prague residents also disagree with active politicians from the city leadership serving on the supervisory or management boards of city-owned companies. The main concerns include the risk of corruption, politically influenced nominations and conflicts of interest.
Trust is weakened by the management of public funds
Trust in the management of public funds is one of the weakest aspects of Prague’s performance. Only 9% of Prague residents have a high level of trust that the city manages public money responsibly.
Corruption and economic scandals also play an important role. 86% of respondents said that major cases of this kind negatively affect their trust in how the city is managed. Proposed measures include stricter anti-corruption rules, limiting political influence and greater public oversight of major contracts.
Prague residents want the city to function more efficiently
The overall view of how the city is being managed remains rather cautious. Only 13% of Prague residents believe that Prague is managed more efficiently today than it was a few years ago. People expect the city to make decisions more quickly, simplify administration, provide more functional digital services and manage public money more transparently.
The results thus point to several areas where Prague residents see room for change – from the day-to-day functioning of public authorities and digitalisation to the way the management of city-owned companies is selected and public funds are monitored.
About the research
The research was conducted by STEM/MARK for the Strategeo Institute and its Prague Agenda using the CAWI method on a representative sample of 515 Prague residents aged 18 and over. Data collection took place from 9 to 17 September 2026. The sample was quota-representative and subsequently weighted by gender, age, education and location at the level of Prague municipal districts.