Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.

The World's ten happiest cities

by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) on Sep 5th 2009 at 11:30AM

Disney World has been labeled "the Happiest Place on Earth", but one look at the tired parents, screaming kids, and extremely long lines will tell you that is just marketing spin. Ever wonder where the actual happiest place on Earth is? Then wonder no more, because Forbes, in conjunction with market researcher GfK Custom Research North America, has put together a list of the ten happiest cities on Earth, just in time to start planning your next vacation.

The list was compiled using data from 2009 Anholt-GfK Roper City Brands Index which was published in June. In that study, more than 10,000 people, across 20 countries, were surveyed about the their general satisfaction with their lives and their overall lifestyle. The results were then compiled, with these ten cities rising to the top for the overall happiness level of their inhabitants.

The ten cities to make the list, in order, are: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Sydney, Australia; Barcelona, Spain; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Melbourne, Australia; Madrid, Spain; San Francisco, U.S.A.; Rome, Italy; Paris, France; and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Many of the cities on the list come as no surprise, as they are already top destinations for travelers, but clearly the Australians and Spaniards know what they are doing, as they each have two cities in the top ten. So? What are your thoughts on the list? Are there any cities that seem to have been left out? How many of these have you visited?

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Festivals and Events, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United States, Australia, Argentina, Brazil

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Katie, Tripbase Sep 8th 2009 4:12AM

Lots of these "Happiness" surveys being done all the time.

Scandinavia tops this list of the top 10 happiest countries in the world:

http://www.tripbase.com/blog/top-10-happiest-countries-in-the-world/

I always wonder which countries are the most miserable?!

Kraig Sep 7th 2009 11:48AM

If I were to venture a guess Katie, I'd say North Korea or Somalia. Either way, they're both on the miserable list for sure.

Katie, Tripbase Sep 8th 2009 4:18AM

Zimbabwe is the most miserable:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/02/the-worlds-10-happiest-an_n_110452.html

4L1 Sep 30th 2009 1:05PM

the happiest place in the world is at Ukraine
www.kazantip.com

Add your comments

Your comments:

Remember me

E-Mail me when someone replies to this comment

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags.