Hobart has been named the 87th happiest city in the world, according to the 2024 Happy City Index.
Aarhus in Denmark was crowned the happiest city in the world, with Zurich in Switzerland and Berlin in Germany rounding out the top three of the top 250 cities globally,
Hobart placed fourth among Australian cities in the rankings, behind Brisbane at 21, Melbourne at 41 and Perth in 61st position.
Sydney placed 116th alongside San Francisco and Abu Dhabi.
The index defines a happy city as one that provides the most opportunities for residents to live fulfilling lives.
“We know that happiness is determined by many different factors,” the Institute of Quality of Life said.
“Every year, we make every effort to objectively and reliably assess what is most important for city dwellers and on this basis assess the sense of happiness.”
“A city of happy people will always mean something different to a five-year-old expecting places to play and the opportunity to build relationships with parents as part of quality time spent together, where a quick return home from the workplace will be crucial.”
The rankings are based on five key categories including citizens, governance, environment, economy and mobility and takes into account the educational system, social inclusion of residents, waste management and even the availability of bike lanes.
