3 German cities named among 20 happiest in the world

Three German cities have been named among the 20 happiest in the world, after Copenhagen, Zurich, and Singapore took the top spots in the Happy City Index 2025.

The Happy City Index 2025

In the 6th edition of the Happy City Index, the UK think tank Institute for Quality of Life ranked 200 international cities. Though the report admits that what makes people happy is subjective, it used 82 measurable indicators to try to find the cities where infrastructure is most conducive to happiness. These were then combined into six categories:

• Citizens: Quality of the school system, housing market, cultural scene, and support for innovative and inclusive policies.
• Governance: Government transparency, efficiency, and involvement of locals in decision making.
• Environment: Quality of environmental policies, from recycling and energy to biodiversity and green spaces.
• Economy: Quality of the job market, opportunities for new business and the wider economy.
• Health: Safety, quality of nutrition, work-life balance and mental health services.
• Mobility: Access to public transport, internet services and airports, and road safety.

Each city was given a rating in each category, which was then combined into an overall score. 

Across the globe, Copenhagen, Zurich and Singapore performed the best. The Danish capital was praised for its "extensive public services and infrastructure", "transparency and civic engagement". The quality of Zurich's economy and job market placed it in second, while Singapore was praised for high civic engagement (95,81 percent voter turnout) and having one of the most "globally advanced" transport systems.

Munich, Berlin and Dresden named among 20 happiest cities

The highest-ranked German city managed to squeeze into the top 10 happiest cities in the world, just. The 2025 index named Munich the ninth-happiest city. The Bavarian capital, where average salaries exceed the national average by 41 percent, was highly praised for being “innovative” and “financially robust”. 

When it comes to daily life, the ranking claimed that Munich provides an “impressive ratio” of 4,5 doctors per 1.000 residents, that “mental health support is prioritised” and that local authorities offer many online services, “including fault reporting, electronic payments, and online appointment scheduling, ensuring seamless interaction between residents and public administration”. 

Berlin slipped into 16th place, though the index’s assessment of the capital’s “thriving [...] infrastructure, public services and economic initiatives” is unlikely to ring true for locals. According to the Happy City Index, Berlin’s “Digital services are seamlessly integrated”, while its transport system, increasingly plagued by delays, was called “well-developed” for “ensuring seamless travel”.

The last German city to make it into the top 20 happiest in the world was Dresden, in 18th place. The capital of Saxony was said to have “one of Germany’s most picturesque and dynamic urban centres”. Apart from the Frauenkirche, Dresden was praised for its “commitment to [academic] research and technological progress”, but criticised for average earnings 7 percent below the national average.

The 10 “happiest cities” in 2025

According to the Happy City Index, these are the 10 happiest cities in the world in 2025: 

1. Copenhagen, Denmark
2. Zurich, Switzerland
3. Singapore
4. Aarhus, Denmark
5. Antwerp, Belgium
6. Seoul, South Korea
7. Stockholm, Sweden
8. Taipei, Taiwan
9. Munich, Germany
10. Rotterdam, the Netherlands