Singapore 3rd-happiest city in the world, also one out of three ‘gold’ cities in Asia
Singapore has been named the third-happiest city in the world by this year’s edition of the Happy City Index.
It is also one of just three cities in Asia to get a “gold” title in the index, and the only one in Southeast Asia.
Source: Diversity Studio on Canva
Cities ranked using six categories
The Republic’s latest ranking in the sixth edition of the Happy City Index was conferred by the Institute for Quality of Life in London using 82 indicators across six categories:
- Citizens
- Governance
- Environment
- Economy
- Mobility
- Health
These categories are the “most important areas defining urban activities that have a direct impact on happiness”, the institute said.
They are further broken up into 26 different areas used to identify and assess cities, which were appraised via analysing objective data and open information, and conducting interviews with residents.
In particular, the Health category is a new addition to the 2025 index. It comes with four new areas of city activities: Mental Health, Safety, Nutrition and Work-Life Balance.
Top 31 cities given ‘gold’ status
The Institute acknowledged that “no single city can be labelled as the absolute best at ensuring the happiness of its citizens over the long haul”.
But as its main goal is uncovering and celebrating “positive trends that boost happiness around the world”, it identified the top 31 as “Gold cities” based on the indicators and scores for each city.
These cities are “the happiest locations in the world”, it said.
Cities not given a “gold” title were placed in the silver (No. 32 to 100) and bronze (No. 101 to 200) groups.
Singapore is world’s 3rd-happiest city, behind Copenhagen & Zurich
To that end, Singapore came in third in the overall list of happiest cities, behind just Copenhagen, Denmark and Zurich, Switzerland.
It’s also the highest-ranked Asian city, beating out Seoul (No. 6) and Taipei (No. 8) for happiness.
The top 10 are as follows:
- Copenhagen
- Zurich
- Singapore
- Aarhus
- Antwerp
- Seoul
- Stockholm
- Taipei
- Munich
- Rotterdam
Singapore’s ranking is a significant jump from its 34th position in the 2024 Happy City Index.
Source: Kevin Wang on Unsplash
Singapore, Seoul and Taipei were also the only Asian cities to be bestowed the gold title.
No Southeast Asian cities received silver, with the next highest Southeast Asian city, Kuala Lumpur, given bronze at No. 167.
Singapore scores well in Health category
In its write-up for Singapore, the institute gave the city 979 points, describing it as “a city-state unlike any other”.
Singapore “stands as a global beacon of economic prosperity, governance, and urban innovation”, continuing to “push the boundaries of what a modern city can achieve”, it said.
The Republic scored better than many cities in the new Health category, with the institute noting that our healthcare is “both accessible and efficient”.
100% of the population has medical insurance, with an “impressive” life expectancy of 83 years and low obesity rate, “reflecting a strong emphasis on public health initiatives”.
The institute also cited Singapore’s low suicide attempt rate and minimal crime rate, making it “one of the safest cities in the world”.
In the area of mobility and transport infrastructure, Singapore is “among the most advanced globally”, with sustainable transit options, an intelligent traffic management system and fully integrated electronic payment systems, it added.
It was also noted that all public transport vehicles are fully adapted for people with mobility disabilities.
Traffic-related fatalities are “low” thanks to stringent safety measures and efficient urban planning, the institute also stated.
Another area of excellence is in the Governance category, with the institute pointing to Singapore’s “high levels of civic engagement” as evidenced by the “impressive” voter turnout in the last local elections.
It was noted that 30% of Singapore’s budget is allocated to supporting innovation, which the institute said was “remarkable”.
Singapore also operates a “comprehensive” open data platform, with 8,086 datasets available for public access, and digital governance is “seamlessly integrated into daily life” as e-services are available for fault reporting, online payments and appointment scheduling.
The city was also praised for its high environmental standards, with 100% of the population served by sewage treatment facilities and abundant green spaces. While waste management remains a “challenge”, recycling efforts continue to improve, the institute added.
Finally, Singapore’s economy is “an engine of global commerce and entrepreneurship”, with 101.67 new businesses per 1,000 residents emerging each year.
The unemployment rate is at 2%, which the institute described as “exceptionally low”. This reflects Singapore’s “robust job market”, it added.
Source: Albert Vincent Wu on Unsplash
Singapore No. 34 in World Happiness Report
The Happy City Index is separate from the World Happiness Report, which ranks countries/territories across the world based on respondents’ average life evaluations over a period of three years.
In this year’s World Happiness Report, Singapore fell four places to No. 34 — the lowest since the report started.
It was also overtaken by Taiwan as the happiest in Asia, but it remained the happiest country in Southeast Asia.
Also read: Commentary: Singaporeans are happiest being the (un)happiest in Asia
Commentary: Singaporeans are happiest being the (un)happiest in Asia
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Diversity Studio on Canva.
