The World’s Happiest Cities in 2025: Copenhagen, Zurich, and Singapore Top the List

The new Happy City Index 2025 has been released, highlighting the most livable and well-balanced urban areas worldwide. The index evaluated 200 municipalities based on 82 key indicators, with Copenhagen, Zurich, and Singapore topping the ranking. In total, 31 cities made it into the prestigious "gold" category.

Measuring Urban Happiness

The Happy City Index takes a holistic approach to urban life, assessing cities in six core dimensions:

Urban Sustainability

Healthcare Quality

Mobility

Social Inclusion

Governance Efficiency

Economy

The scores were calculated using both international data and local surveys. Cities were ranked across three tiers: Gold, Silver, and Bronze.

Gold Cities: Sustainability and Harmony

Copenhagen scored the highest with 1039 points, excelling in digitalization, health insurance coverage (100%), and green mobility (69%). The city continues to lead sustainable development and citizen participation.

Zurich, with 993 points, ranks second due to its high GDP per capita (£83,165 / $97,300), strong digital infrastructure, and excellent public health (life expectancy 83.8 years).

Singapore comes third with 979 points, noted for universal healthcare, low unemployment (2%), and 67% green mobility. All public transport is fully accessible.

Other top performers include Aarhus (Denmark), Antwerp (Belgium), Seoul, Stockholm, Taipei, Munich, and Rotterdam.

Silver Cities: Strong Performers with Room to Grow

Silver cities ranked from 32 to 100, showing strong metrics but not yet reaching gold standards. Notable examples:

Leuven (Belgium) – high civic engagement and environmental quality

Lyon (France) – excels in governance and environmental sustainability

San Diego (USA) – a leader in ecological performance

Amsterdam (Netherlands) – high scores in healthcare and smart governance

Bronze Cities: Transforming Urban Futures

Bronze cities are in transition, showing potential for sustainable growth. Examples include:

Jönköping (Sweden) – strong in healthcare and civic participation

Manchester & Bristol (UK) – leaders in environmental performance

Maribor (Slovenia) – noted for mobility and citizen engagement

Cities like Tallinn, Tokyo, Toronto, Moscow, Athens, and Panama City also made the bronze list, reflecting diverse development stages across continents.

Future of Happy Cities

The 2025 index emphasizes several trends:

The rise of sustainable urban development

Digital innovation for smart governance

Greater focus on public health and social cohesion

Happiness in cities goes beyond economic wealth—community trust, green infrastructure, and quality of life are now at the heart of urban success.