Happiness is a city you would like to live in forever.
One of those that, despite your hectic life and travels around the world, you can’t wait to see again. One of those that make you feel the meaning of the word HOME .
Each of them is different because tastes are subjective , but there are studies that have identified, according to certain parameters, which could be the happiest cities in the world .
How do we measure a “happy city”?
Specifically, it is an analysis carried out by the Institute for Quality of Life and Happy City Hub , based in London, which carries out research on the quality of life on the planet.
To draw up the list, various factors are considered: social, environmental, economic, cultural policies, public services, innovation, security and the ability to overcome moments of crisis such as inflation and the post-pandemic situation we are experiencing.
These are, of course, parameters that evolve year after year, with the needs of modernity and citizens, in particular, those of recent years have been based on:
- Obesity levels
- Life expectation
- Hours of sunshine
- Air and water quality
- Levels of happiness
- Average hours worked per week
- Number of outdoor activities
- Number of takeout options
- Average cost of a monthly gym membership
- Average cost of a bottle of water
Subsequently, based on the different indicators and results obtained, the “winning” cities are positioned in 3 bands: gold, silver and bronze .
The happiest cities in the world: here are the first
This year the happiest people in the world live in Aarhus , a Danish city on the east coast of the Jutland Peninsula.
It is now known that many of the happiest cities are in the Nordic countries (Amsterdam in Holland, Bergen in Norway, Eskilstuna in Sweden, Helsinki in Finland) because the quality of life is excellent. Is it a coincidence if the Hygge style we talked about a few articles ago comes from these areas?
No, of course!
The winners also include London and Zurich, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington DC. Etc.
The silver cities
Even for the second podium we cannot find any Italian city . Among the European ones, however, Berlin , Bordeaux, Madrid , Bilbao, Frankfurt , Dublin, Dusseldorf and Hamburg stand out. For the United Kingdom, 18 locations appear, from the largest to the smallest, not bad!
The bronze cities – the happiest Italian centers
Here are finally the Italian cities in the ranking , and there are three. First of all Milan , then Bologna and finally also our capital, Rome .
There is still a long way to go: the Italian territory is full of possibilities, all it takes is a little commitment from both citizens and institutions.
The complete ranking can be consulted at this link .
The happiest cities of Progetto Happiness
Often, however, a ranking is not enough. There are parameters that go beyond simple well-being indicators.
For example, people, the special ones we meet on our life journey who are able to teach us a happiness that goes beyond places and which, despite the defects, still makes us live well.
It’s something we experience during our travels: we got to know complicated places as evidenced by the recent episodes in Nepal or Palestine but the people we met in each of them managed to make us understand why IT WAS WORTH IT and why, these lands and who lives, they know happiness.
For you, what is the happiest city in the world?
Who knows, it might be the stop on our next adventure!
