NYC is among the happiest cities in the world—yes, we're shocked, too

When we think of a classic New York disposition, words like "curmudgeonly", "stern", "impatient" and "no f***s given" come to mind—more Fran Lebowitz than Phoebe Buffay. Imagine our surprise, then, when our not-so-fair city ended up on the Happy City Index 2025, a global study that ranks "cities based on the happiness of their citizens."
Created by the London-based Institute for Quality of Life, the annual index evaluates 200 cities worldwide using 82 indicators across six major categories believed to have the most direct impact on overall happiness: governance, environment, economy, mobility, citizen well-being and health. Within those lead markers are 26 subcategories, noting important elements like green space, educational systems, inclusive policies, housing opportunities and access to culture, among others. The cities are then ranked and awarded either gold, silver or bronze status.
And much to our delightful shock, New York City has earned gold status in this year's rankings, coming in at number 17 with 902 total points. (For comparison, Copenhagen, Denmark took the top spot of 2025's happiest city with 1,039 points.) NYC was praised for its vibrant cultural scene, its growing investment in sustainable infrastructure, its considerable civic engagement and its innovative spirit.
Notably, New York is the only American city to crack the top 25 rankings, which is unsurprisingly dominated by progressive Scandinavian cities like Stockholm and Helsinki, picturesque European capitals like Zurich and Paris, and splashy Asian hubs like Seoul and Singapore.
Check out how NYC stacks up among the top 25 happiest cities in the world below and see the full Happy City Index 2025 rankings here.
1. Copenhagen, Denmark: 1039 total points
2. Zurich, Switzerland: 993 total points
3. Singapore: 979 total points
4. Aarhus, Denmark: 958 total points
5. Antwerp, Belgium: 956 total points
6. Seoul, South Korea: 942 total points
7. Stockholm, Sweden: 941 total points
8. Taipei, Taiwan: 936 total points
9. Munich, Germany: 931 total points
10. Rotterdam, Netherlands: 920 total points
11. Vancouver, Canada: 919 total points
12. Vienna, Austria: 918 total points
13. Paris, France: 909 total points
14. Helsinki, Finland: 908 total points
15. Aalborg, Denmark: 906 total points
16. Berlin, Germany: 905 total points
17. New York, USA: 902 total points
18. Dresden, Germany: 893 total points
19. Brussels, Belgium: 887 total points
20. Geneva, Switzerland: 883 total points
21. Porto, Portugal: 879 total points
22. Barcelona, Spain: 875 total points
23. Oslo, Norway: 870 total points
24. Dublin, Ireland: 862 total points
25. Milan, Italy: 856 total points

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