Italy's happiest city ranked 25th globally

Happiness indicators used in rankings

To determine the happiest cities in Italy, studies and rankings rely on various key indicators. The Happy City Index 2025 considers factors such as education, inclusive policies, the economy, mobility, environmental protection, access to green spaces, and innovation.

The ranking does not only order cities by score but also divides them into groups. Cities ranked from first to thirty-seventh place are classified as "gold," those from thirty-eighth to one hundredth place are "silver," and cities ranked from one hundred and first to two hundred fiftieth place are considered "bronze."

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Milan is the happiest city in Italy

Looking at the previously mentioned ranking, the highest-ranking Italian city is only in 25th place. That city is Milan, with an impressive score of 856. The Lombard capital scores the highest in the Governance sector, which, according to the study, reflects its ability to encourage citizen participation in decision-making processes, as well as access to digital services.

Living in Milan means benefiting from a strong economy, though the city's mobility score is notably low. The ranking evaluates several aspects of mobility, such as the intermodality of transport options, as well as safety and the availability of open data.

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Other Italian cities in the ranking

The ranking of the happiest cities in Italy sees several other notable cities following Milan. Among the "silver" cities, Turin ranks 38th with a total score of 824, benefiting from strong economic indicators.

Florence follows in 60th place with a score of 774, thanks once again to its governance score. Bologna ranks 67th with 767 points, while Rome, in the "bronze" category, comes in at 116th with 693 points. Genoa follows closely in 122nd place with 683 points, Palermo is in 152nd place with 623 points, and finally, Naples ranks 170th with 597 points.

Palermo Pixabay

The top 10 happiest cities in the world

While no Italian cities make it into the top 10 of the global ranking, the good news is that most of the cities on the podium are European. These cities have scored highly across various areas, from governance to the environment, and mobility. Therefore, it can be said that the 10 happiest cities in the world are:

1. Copenhagen, Denmark (1039 points)
2. Zurich, Switzerland (993 points)
3. Singapore (979 points)
4. Aarhus, Denmark (958 points)
5. Antwerp, Netherlands (956 points)
6. Seoul, South Korea (942 points)
7. Stockholm, Sweden (941 points)
8. Taipei, Taiwan (936 points)
9. Munich, Germany (931 points)
10. Rotterdam, Netherlands (920 points)

Each of these cities provides an exceptional environment for its residents, thanks to effective urban policies that promote well-being and happiness.

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