Singapore has moved up to third place in the 2025 Happy City Index, rising from 34th position last year. The city-state now ranks behind only Copenhagen and Zurich and is recognized as Asia’s “happiest city.”
The London-based Institute for Quality of Life produces the Happy City Index. The institute evaluates cities using 82 indicators across six themes: Citizens, Governance, Environment, Economy, Health, and Mobility.
The 2025 edition added Health as a new category, which includes Mental Health, Safety, Nutrition, and Work-Life Balance.
Singapore received 979 points in the index. The institute described Singapore as a “city-state unlike any other” and a “global beacon of economic prosperity, governance, and urban innovation.”
Two other Asian cities joined Singapore in the top 10 – Seoul in 6th place and Taipei in 8th. These three were the only Asian cities to receive “gold” status among the top 31 cities worldwide.
Kuala Lumpur, the next highest Southeast Asian city, ranked 167th and received a “bronze” designation.
Singapore performed well in the new Health category. The index noted that 100% of the population has medical insurance. Citizens have a life expectancy of 83 years and a low obesity rate.
The city-state’s healthcare system was praised for accessibility and efficiency, with 2.8 doctors per 1,000 residents.
Safety remains a strong point for Singapore, with only 3.31 recorded incidents of public violence per 1,000 residents and a low suicide attempt rate. The index called it “one of the safest cities in the world.”
In Governance, Singapore showed high civic engagement with a 95.81% voter turnout in the last election.
Three percent of Singapore’s budget goes toward supporting innovation. The city operates an open data platform with 8,086 datasets available for public access.
Singapore’s universities rank among the top 50 globally. The country has 7.37 patents per 10,000 residents. However, education costs remain a concern, requiring 13.4% of an individual’s income.
The economy continues to grow with 101.67 new businesses emerging per 1,000 residents annually. The unemployment rate is 2%.
The Happy City Index ranked Singapore’s transport infrastructure among the most advanced globally. All public transport vehicles are fully adapted for people with mobility disabilities. Traffic-related fatalities are low at 0.24 per 10,000 residents.
Environmental standards received positive attention, with 100% of the population served by sewage treatment facilities. Waste management was identified as a challenge, though recycling efforts are improving.
The Happy City Index differs from the World Happiness Report, where Singapore fell four places to 34th this year – its lowest position since the report began.
In the World Happiness Report, Taiwan overtook Singapore as the happiest in Asia, though Singapore still ranks as the happiest country in Southeast Asia.
