Copenhagen ranked as world’s happiest city 2025

45 percent of the world’s population now lives in cities. With so many urbanites, the cities better be good. Fortunately for Innovation District Copenhagen, the Danish capital is better than good. In fact, it was recently appointed the happiest city in the world by the organisation “Happy City Index”.

What does “happy” mean?

A city of happy people will always mean something different to a five-year-old, compared to a student, a corporate professional, or a senior citizen, all of whom have specific needs and expectations. Happy Cities Index developed a data collection system and established weightings that, in their assessment, best reflect the needs of residents. To assess the happiness of the population, the index-team looked at:

• Citizens’ access to education, inclusivity, creativity, housing and culture.
• Governments’ transparency, legitimacy, accessibility and strategic planning.
• Environmental management, prevention, protection, recycling and availability of green areas.
• Economic factors such as productivity, innovation, entrepreneurship, workforce and internationalization
• Health issues including safety, nutrition, work/life balance and mental health.
• Mobility, especially public transport

A very European competition

Top-ten happiest cities are overwhelmingly European, with Swizz Zurich, Danish Aarhus, Belgian Antwerp, Swedish Stockholm, German Munich and Dutch Rotterdam battling Singapore, Seoul and Taipei for top-spaces. And the race is tight. From Copenhagen’s 1039 points securing the winning first place to Rotterdam securing only a spot at number ten with 920 points.

Leading economic powerhouse

According to the Happy Cities Index, The economy of Copenhagen thrives on a dynamic business environment. The city hosts 230.2 businesses per 1,000 residents, fostering entrepreneurship and economic growth. A low unemployment rate of 4% speaks to a healthy job market. Earnings in the city are significantly higher than the national average, with a 60% deviation in wages. With a strong economy, a well-educated workforce, and a business-friendly environment, Copenhagen stands as one of Europe’s leading economic powerhouses.
In Innovation District Copenhagen, we can only agree with this assessment.