Hamburg - Having a best friend is especially important to women, a recent representative survey of women aged 25 to 55 in Germany shows.

Asked what really counts in life, 97 per cent answered "having and keeping good friends." In second place was a relationship: 95 per cent of the women questioned said it was especially important to have a long-term partner and to be happy in the relationship.

The study, which appears in the August edition of a lifestyle magazine published in Hamburg, also showed that 91 per cent consider financial independence an important life goal.

Nutrition appeared more important to women than sex. Sixty per cent of the 1,034 women who participated in the survey counted healthy eating among important things in their lives, while 53 per cent said losing weight was an important goal. By comparison, only 48 per cent named "good sex" as important.

The survey further showed that 45 per cent hoped to take a big trip, while 42 per cent found it especially important to find a job that made them happy. (dpa)