Budapest and Wuhan Share Low Ranking in 2025 Happy City Index
Exploring the 2025 Happy City Index: Budapest’s Standing in Global Happiness Rankings
The Institute for Quality of Life has released its sixth annual report on the world’s happiest cities, utilizing 82 different indicators to assess urban well-being. Notably, Budapest has made its mark on this global ranking.
Happy City Index 2025 Results
This year, the parameters evaluated were categorized into six main aspects: citizen engagement, governance, environment, health, economy, and mobility. These collective evaluations help identify cities that provide a high quality of life.
Copenhagen has secured the top position with a remarkable score of 1,039 points, largely attributed to its Scandinavian "hygge" lifestyle, excellent education system, innovation, and robust civic participation. Following closely are Zürich in second place and Singapore in third, creating a top ten list predominantly filled with cities from Northern and Western Europe, as well as Asia:
- Copenhagen
- Zürich
- Singapore
- Aarhus
- Antwerp
- Seoul
- Stockholm
- Taipei
- Munich
- Rotterdam
Budapest’s Regional Performance
In this year’s index, Budapest ranked 110th among the happiest cities globally, tying with Wuhan, China—the city known as the original epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hungarian capital achieved a score of 700 points, indicating notable potential for improvement while maintaining a respectable global position.
Budapest outperformed several other significant cities, including Rome (116th), Malmö (116th), Istanbul (127th), Boston (131st), Leipzig (144th), and Prague (153rd). Within Central Europe, Vienna ranked highest in 12th place with 918 points, followed by Ljubljana at 41st. Additionally, the Hungarian city of Debrecen appeared in the rankings at 145th.
Areas for Improvement
An analysis of Budapest’s scores highlights its mobility as a key strength, where it ranks an impressive fourth globally—surpassing renowned cities like Copenhagen and Vienna. This achievement likely reflects the city’s extensive and versatile public transportation network.
However, Budapest’s performance in the health category raises concerns, with a score of only 58 points. In contrast, Linz, Austria, excelled in this category, achieving a score of 177 points. This discrepancy showcases a crucial area for development in Budapest moving forward.
Conclusion
While Budapest has not yet entered the ranks of the world’s happiest cities, it stands out in terms of mobility and surpasses many other major urban centers. Copenhagen continues to set the benchmark for a successful urban lifestyle and well-being. The findings from the 2025 Happy City Index may inspire Budapest’s leadership to prioritize improvements in health and other quality-of-life metrics in future developments.
For a Hungarian version of this article, click here.
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