In the event you’re on the lookout for just a little extra happiness in your life, think about shifting to Denmark, house to the happiest metropolis on the planet.

Every year, the Institute for High quality of Life releases its Pleased Metropolis index, rating cities “dedicated to cultivating and rising happiness” based mostly on components corresponding to schooling, inclusive insurance policies, the economic system, environmental safety, and entry to inexperienced areas. General, the group appears to be like at 82 totally different indicators of pleasure, together with particular person interviews with residents in cities throughout the globe. 

And this yr’s listing is topped by Copenhagen. In keeping with the findings, the Danish capital ranks excessive because of its “dedication to schooling and innovation,” in addition to its transparency in governance, sustainability, and entry to well being care. 

“Well being and well-being are cornerstones of life in Copenhagen,” the report famous. “Town boasts common well being care protection, with each resident insured and entry to 4.4 docs per 1,000 inhabitants. Life expectancy stands at 79.9 years, supported by a well-balanced life-style that features a median workweek of 37 hours.”

Zurich, Switzerland, was second, adopted by Singapore. One other Danish metropolis, Aarhus, which topped the rating in 2024, is fourth, and Antwerp, Belgium, is fifth. Denmark, which was named the second-happiest nation on this planet earlier this yr after Finland, has seven cities within the prime 50 alone.

The very best-ranking U.S. cities on this yr’s listing are New York, which got here in at No. 17, and Minneapolis, which is thirtieth.

Nevertheless, the Institute for High quality of Life notes, “If there’s one takeaway from our in depth analysis, it’s this: no single metropolis might be labelled as the best possible at guaranteeing the happiness of its residents over the lengthy haul […] At finest, we would spotlight cities for particular achievements or enhancements in a given yr. However that’s not our foremost objective. We’re all about uncovering and celebrating optimistic traits that increase happiness world wide.” 

See the complete rankings and particulars of every metropolis at happy-city-index.com.