Two Romanian cities are among the happiest in the world, according to the latest TOP 250 Happy City Index. The podium is occupied by the city of Aarhus (Denmark), being followed in second place, by Zurich (Switzerland) and Berlin (Germany) in third place.
Cluj Napoca, in the top of the happiest in the world PHOTO: Archive
“The ranking was created on the basis of thousands of indicators carefully developed by our researchers, which are directly related to the quality of life and the sense of happiness of its inhabitants. It is important to note that we are not analyzing the happiness of an imaginary individual in each location in the world, but the people who actually live in these cities“, claim the authors of the study.
According to the 250 Happy City Index, Cluj-Napoca and Brasov are the only cities in Romania that are in this top, occupying positions 195 and 220, respectively.
The podium is occupied by the city of Aarhus (Denmark), being followed in second place, by Zurich (Switzerland) and Berlin (Germany) in third place, Gothenburg (Sweden) in fourth place, Amsterdam (Netherlands) in fourth place fifth, Helsinki (Finland), in sixth place.
Brașov is on position 220 PHOTO: Archive
The first 10 positions in the ranking are occupied by other cities from these three countries, including Copenhagen, Munich and Geneva. Finland ranks first in the ranking of the happiest countries in the world, followed by Denmark, Iceland and Sweden.
Chisinau, the capital of the Republic of Moldova, is ranked 191, with 1310.4.
“Cities are made up of people, and their sense of happiness depends on many factors. Each person is different and has different needs resulting from historical, geopolitical or traditional conditions. People living in cities are involved in their constant transformation through social, political or economic activities. Residents are also the ones who create the future of cities, giving them their expressive character. Besides, a city is an ever-changing landscape,” said the authors of the study.
A city of happy people will always mean something different to “a five-year-old who expects playgrounds and the opportunity to build relationships with parents as part of quality time together, where a quick return home from work will be crucial. Other expectations would be defined by students, corporate professionals, senior citizens and any other group of people with specific needs.”
“It is not fair to establish a single leading city. It is best to establish a group of cities committed to the cultivation and growth of happiness, where education, inclusive policies, economy, mobility, environmental protection, access to green areas or innovation are not only important components of the official policies created, but they are also visible in the implemented solutions, tangible for the inhabitants and have a direct impact on their quality of life“, states the organization.
Taking these factors into account, cities were given a five-component score. The first 37 cities in the ranking were moved to the gold category, those located on places 38-100 entered the silver category, and the following up to 250 to the bronze category.
