Friends, family and a sense of community all can lead to happiness, but the environment you live in can also have a huge impact on your wellbeing. Yet, what exactly makes a "happy city"?

To find out, researchers at the Institute for the Quality of Life recently released their 2025 Happy City Index, tracking 82 indicators of happiness across six major categories including Citizens, Governance, Environment, Economy, Health and Mobility. The index measured the policies that contribute to the quality of life, as well as their implementation and impact on residents.

The index noted that no city should ultimately be considered "the happiest", instead naming a group of 31 cities that made the "Gold Cities" list, indicating especially strong scores across all metrics. To find out what kind of policies and features truly make up a "happy city", we spoke to residents living in the five top-scoring places around the world.

Denmark frequently ranks in the happiest countries index, so perhaps it's no surprise that its capital city received the highest overall score. Copenhagen scores exceptionally well in the Environment category, which ranks its green spaces, sustainability and waste management; and the Economy category, which factors in items like GDP, median salary and overall innovation and international company presence.

TOP 10 GOLD "HAPPIEST" CITIES

1. Copenhagen

2. Zurich

3. Singapore

4. Aarhus

5. Antwerp

6. Seoul

7. Stockholm

8. Taiepi

9. Munich

10. Rotterdam

See the full list here

The city also ranked well in the Citizens category, which includes cultural resources like libraries and museums, as well as resident engagement and events. For permanent resident Mari-Anne Daura, the lively food and cultural scene keeps her loving where she lives.

"The city is always organising free events, whether it's The Copenhagen Light Festival, The Human Library, Copenhagen Cooking or the Distortion Street Parties. I appreciate how much effort the city puts into curating experiences for its residents," she said. "There is always something to do and something new to experience, which is what made me choose to live in Copenhagen over Stockholm."

Residents also appreciate Copenhagen's emphasis on alternate and safe modes of transport. "Nearly one-third or more of the population bikes and the city itself has its own bike lane, which many people use to commute to and from the city. The metro system also runs like clockwork," said resident Aaron Wertheimer.

He recommends visitors rent a bike and cycle over the Hans Christian Andersen bridge. "You can see the entire city, its canals and its beautiful architecture, and you'll gain a greater appreciation for the city's aesthetic and overall atmosphere," he said.

Daura recommends hopping on a water bus to experience the city from another angle. "Check out the vibe and the wide variety of food trucks at Reffen [Northern Europe's largest street food market]," she said. "To me, nothing is more Copenhagen than Reffen."

Ranked second highest in the index, Switzerland's largest city received especially high marks in the Citizens category as well as the Governance category, which measures citizen participation in government policies and access to digital services to improve life for residents.

This overall ease of living makes it much........

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