Holiday Ayo - The Institute for Quality of Life released the Happy City Index in May 2025 to measure the world's happiest cities.

A total of 200 cities from various countries were assessed. Which city is the happiest in Asia?

The Happy City Index surveys cities based on six indicators: citizens, governance, environment, economy, health, and mobility.

The indicators generate a score, indicating that the higher the score, the happier the city.

The assessment, based on 2024 data, also shows how a city's quality of life is maximized and its workers find a work-life balance.

The results revealed that Copenhagen, Denmark, was the happiest city in the world. It was the only city to reach a score of 1,000.

Second was Zurich, Switzerland, and third, interestingly, came from Southeast Asia: Singapore.

Rounding out the top five were Aarhus, Denmark, and Antwerp, Belgium.

In Asia, Singapore automatically became the happiest city. Its score of 979 points placed it third in the world.

Seoul in South Korea followed with a score of 942. Taipei in Taiwan came in third with a score of 936.

South Korea had four cities at the top of the list: Seoul, Busan, Ulsan, and Incheon. Meanwhile, Taiwan had three cities at the top of the list: Taipei, Hsinchu, and Changhua.

Meanwhile, there were no Indonesian cities in the top 200. The only cities in the top 200 were Kuala Lumpur (ranked 167th), Petaling Jaya (ranked 183rd), and Quezon City (ranked 169th).

Here's a list of the happiest cities in Asia according to the Happy City Index 2025.

1. Singapore

Score: 979

2. Seoul, South Korea

Score: 942

3. Taipei, Taiwan

Score: 936

4. Tokyo, Japan

Score: 814

5. Beijing, China

Score: 784

6. Busan, South Korea

Score: 782

7. Ulsan, South Korea

Score: 776

8. Incheon, South Korea

Score: 756

9. Hsinchu, Taiwan

Score: 754

10. Changhua, Taiwan

Score: 733.