Despite the burden and prevalence of colorectal cancer (CRC), there is only limited information regarding quality of life of patients who have survived beyond the first year post treatment. We assessed quality of life in a population-based cohort of 309 patients with CRC from Saarland (Germany) one and three years after diagnosis using the QLQ-C30 questionnaire and the tumour specific module QLQ-CR38. When compared with reference data from the general population, most patients with CRC reported high overall quality of life and only small deficits in physical functioning but deficits in emotional and social functioning persist over years in patients with colorectal cancer. Improvements in quality of life from the first to the third year after diagnosis in patients who remained free of disease were very modest and limited to less financial difficulties, a better future perspective and fewer stoma-related problems.