- By Ridam Sharma
- Thu, 18 Sep 2025 04:43 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Top 10 Happiest Cities: Happiness is the essence of life. The happiness of its population leads the place to growth and development. Additionally, it impacts the quality of life people are living in a particular place. The happiness of a place depends on numerous factors, from mental and physical well-being to good governance and even wealth, along with the GDP. The cities that thrive on happiness ranking are those where residents enjoy quality social support, environment, economy, and health infrastructure. Now, let’s take a look at the list of the top 10 happiest cities in the world in 2025, according to the Institute for Quality Life: 2025 Happy City Index.
The list of the top 10 happiest cities in the world is ranked on the basis of six main parameters, which are: citizen engagement, governance, environmental quality, economic vitality, health, and mobility.
List Of Top 10 Happiest Cities In The World In 2025:
| Rank | City, Country | Total Score | Citizens | Governance | Environment | Economy | Health | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copenhagen, Denmark | 1039 | 237 | 177 | 192 | 182 | 149 | 101 |
| 2 | Zurich, Switzerland | 993 | 256 | 185 | 175 | 174 | 122 | 80 |
| 3 | Singapore, Singapore | 979 | 210 | 192 | 151 | 174 | 149 | 101 |
| 4 | Aarhus, Denmark | 958 | 233 | 173 | 170 | 143 | 145 | 95 |
| 5 | Antwerp, Belgium | 956 | 258 | 205 | 148 | 100 | 145 | 100 |
| 6 | Seoul, South Korea | 942 | 260 | 206 | 153 | 100 | 117 | 106 |
| 7 | Stockholm, Sweden | 941 | 270 | 183 | 143 | 111 | 136 | 98 |
| 8 | Taipei, Taiwan | 936 | 158 | 210 | 192 | 126 | 120 | 131 |
| 9 | Munich, Germany | 931 | 250 | 175 | 114 | 110 | 176 | 105 |
| 10 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | 920 | 192 | 166 | 188 | 65 | 176 | 106 |
Source: Institute for Quality Life: #2025 Happy City Index
Which Are The Top 10 Happiest Cities In The World In 2025?
1. Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen is the happiest city in the world, with a massive score of 1039. The city thrives in governance, environment, and economy. Its strong welfare system, clean urban planning, and trust-driven governance create a model liveable environment. Citizens enjoy both social security and sustainability-driven policies. Denmark is the second-happiest country in the world.
2. Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich is the second-happiest city in the world. The city is a perfect example of prosperity, all thanks to its efficient governance. Its impressive citizen satisfaction score of 256 reflects stability, excellent healthcare, and strong economic performance. The city also thrives on environmental care, making it one of Europe’s most progressive hubs.
3. Singapore, Singapore
Singapore glitters for governance and urban mobility. In spite of the high population, the city-state can balance health, innovation, and the happiness of the citizens. Effective policies, lack of corruption, and smooth public transport have made an important contribution to its position in the top three.
4. Aarhus, Denmark
Aarhus, with high rankings for governance and health, is also thriving on the happiness list. The city is famous for its inclusive politics, clear cultural identity, and progressive attitude to sustainability. Aarhus’s up-to-date facilities with Scandinavian social confidence.
5. Antwerp, Belgium
Antwerp has one of the most improved governance scores, which is 205. Although its economy is lower, which gets compensated for with superior citizen well-being and cultural diversity. Its marriage of tradition and modernity serves to foster a contented population.
6. Seoul, South Korea
Seoul is flourishing on the happiness Index with excellent governance and citizen satisfaction ratings. The place is known for its world-class technology and is an innovation hub. Though the city does face economic issues, Seoul's robust mobility systems and community involvement increase overall happiness.
7. Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm is famous for its balance between work, lifestyle, and nature. The top-notch citizen participation, with a score of 270, shows how citizen participation promotes community well-being here. The Swedish capital is also blessed with quality healthcare and eco-friendly urban planning.
Also Read: List Of Top 10 Happiest States In India: Uttar Pradesh At The Bottom
8. Taipei, Taiwan
Taipei has one of the best happiness rankings in the world due to a high governance score of 210 and superior environmental performance. Residents enjoy a combination of advanced technology, cultural richness, and efficient local polices. Mobility services also facilitate the convenience of living here.
9. Munich, Germany
Munich is on the list due to its high healthcare score of 176 and solid economic prospects. While its eco-score is lower than that of Scandinavian cities, good infrastructure and a lively job market still keep its citizens happy.
10. Rotterdam, Netherlands
Rotterdam concludes the list of the happiest cities in the world with high mobility and good health scores. Even underpinned by weaker economic indicators, the resilience of the city, its forward-thinking urban planning, and emphasis on liveability ensure that its residents feel protected and engaged.
India's Rank On The Happiness Index:
NoIndian city ranks among the top 10 happiest cities in the world. However, as per the World Population Review report, India's world happiness score in 2024 was 4.05, which indicates that the nation is growing in terms of life satisfaction among its people. But factors like population, social barriers, and conflicts need reforms and efforts to improve Indian cities and pull them up in the Happiness ranking.
Also Read: Which Are The 20 Happiest And 20 Unhappiest Cities In America?
The above-mentioned list of the happiest cities in the world is not all about happiness, but also about wealth, governance, sustainability, and health infrastructure of the country. The list is a reminder of how cities can also flourish, keeping the citizens' well-being as a priority. Which one of these cities would you wish to live in and explore their high standards of living?