Want to start your week with a smile? A fresh ranking of the happiest cities on the planet has been released, and five Australian capital cities made the cut. We were pretty stoked to see our friends in Brisbane having their time in the spotlight, ranking as the happiest city in Australia and the 21st most cheerful in the entire world – but it seems like the locals aren’t fully on board with the hype.
Curious about how Brisbane snagged such a high spot? Every year, the Happy City Index reviews 250 locations worldwide, assessing them on thousands of quality of life factors across five categories: citizens, governance, environment, economy and mobility. Cities are then ranked by their total score and awarded gold, silver or bronze status.
This year, 37 cities earned the prestigious title of 'Golden Happiness Cities', with Europe claiming the entire top 15. The happiest of them all was Aarhus in Denmark, followed by Zurich in Switzerland and Berlin in Germany. Minneapolis in the US was the only non-European city to crack the top 20, with Brisbane landing just outside in 21st place.
The future Olympic host city is loved for its laid-back charm, year-round sunshine and lively music scene. However, some locals were surprised at the high ranking, with users quick to share their thoughts on a post made by the Brisbane Facebook page. One user commented, “The weather is great in Brisbane, but the city is boring, so much more to do in Melbourne or Sydney.”
Another added, “What a joke, how can someone be happy after spending 80 per cent of their wages [on] housing.”
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Facebook users also called out Brisbane’s high rates of youth crime and the homelessness crisis. However, these issues aren’t exclusive to the Sunshine State, with one person defending the study, stating, “All [these] nonsense comments about housing, crime, price of living is everywhere in the world!”
So sure, Australia has a rep for being expensive, but there is still plenty to be happy about if you live here. Speaking of which, here are the best free things to do in Brisbane right now.
Want to see how Australia’s other capital cities ranked?
Here are the happiest cities in Australia in 2024, according to the Happy City Index:
21. Brisbane
41. Melbourne
61. Perth
87. Hobart
116. Sydney
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