The Happiest Cities on Earth

A couple of Danish cities are pretty smug with themselves
Posted Jun 2, 2025 1:02 PM CDT
The Happiest Cities in the World
Danish flags are attached to the spire of Christiansborg Castle, the Danish Parliament building in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sept. 5, 2021.   (Keld Navntoft/Ritzau Scanpix via AP, File)

The Danes shell out some of the highest taxes on the globe—up to 50% of their annual pay—but they appear to be deliriously happy about it. According to the Institute for the Quality of Life's 2025 Happy City Index, two cities in Denmark make the top 10 list of the happiest cities on planet Earth. The index looked at 82 happiness indicators in six categories: Citizens, governance, environment, economy, health, and mobility. Those categories might give a peek at Denmark's success, notes CNBC, because those steep taxes provide mostly free health care, subsidized childcare, free university tuition, and even grants to cover college students' expenses while they're studying. The US' top finisher was New York City at No. 17, while Minneapolis clocked in at No. 30. A look at the happiest:

  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, Netherlands
Check out the happiest cities in America. (More happiest cities stories.)

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