Every year, the Happy City Index releases a report that ranks the happiest cities in the world—and the results are in for 2025.
The index is managed by the London-based group Institute for Quality of Life, ranks 200 cities using 82 indicators across six broad categories including governance, environment, economy, mobility, and citizens—which includes indicators like education and access to cultural institutions. The sixth category in the 2025 list is the health theme, with indicators including mental health, nutrition, safety and accessibility to cultural institutions. work-life balance.
These criteria are used to rank the cities on three lists: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. “Gold cities” are the 31 happiest places in the world. The list will include cities from all over the world in 2025. This includes Europe, Asia and Africa. North AmericaAnd the South Pacific.
Two US cities have been ranked in the top 31. New York CityThe 17th-happiest city is, a “hub for innovation” with a growing number of sustainable transportation options. And the 30th-happiest? Minneapolis. This city has a lot of green space and clean air.
The authors of the report are aware that happiness is a fluid concept. The report states that “there is no perfect place to live which guarantees happiness for its residents.” The data show that there are cities who implement urban policies in a very wise way, constantly analyzing the effectiveness of their policies.
According to the Happiest City Index, here are the top five most happiest cities around the globe for 2025. Here are some more details. happiest countries in the world.
5. Antwerp (Belgium)
This city, located on Belgium’s Scheldt River, scored high points for its excellent education statistics, reliable transportation, and health conscious residents. The report states that “around 7%” of residents are actively involved in lifelong learning and that nearly one quarter (24,8%) of the population have a Master’s Degree. Antwerp’s Life expectancy is high with 81.2 years. The index says that the “accessibility to medical care” is the best of all the regions, with 99% coverage by medical insurance, and six doctors for every 1,000 residents. However, the city scored poorly for having a limited amount of green space. Only 0.07 square kilometers were covered by parks.
