To paraphrase Tolstoy’s famous opening line: All happy cities are alike; each unhappy city is unhappy in its own way.
Maybe that’s too clunky a way to introduce the 2025 Happy City Index, but I’m seriously jetlagged so it will have to do today. According to the Happy City Index “it is not fair to establish a single city as the leader. It is more appropriate to recognize a group of cities committed to cultivating and growing happiness, where education, inclusive policies, the economy, mobility, environmental protection, access to green areas, and innovation are not only important components of official policies but are also evident in the solutions implemented. These solutions should be tangible for residents and have a direct impact on their quality of life.
Since every city is a dynamic landscape, their activities must be periodically reviewed, especially with regard to the quality of public services provided and the application of place-based knowledge in response to new challenges that arise. We undertake this process daily and publish our findings annually. Every year has its highs and lows, and the past year was no exception— from debates related to AI to various hot and cold conflicts and polarizations around the globe, as well as the aftershocks of the pandemic, such as the increased focus on wellbeing in public debate. This is a positive development, though it remains insufficiently inclusive.
The challenges of today’s world are complex, requiring a holistic approach and tailored solutions. We all know it’s better to prevent than to cure. Strong leadership in the implementation of wellbeing policies is more crucial now than ever. Policymakers are often perceived as slow to react and quick to be blamed, but we believe this is often an unfair bias, especially concerning local leaders. Local governments have a direct and significant impact on people’s everyday lives and, consequently, their happiness—our shared fundamental human goal. So here they are”
- Copenhagen
- Zurich
- Singapore
- Aarhus
- Antwerp
- Seoul
- Stockholm
- Taipei
- Munich
- Rotterdam
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