Grab your iced lattes and brace yourselves, because the latest global happiness rankings are out, and the results might make you do a double-take. According to Visual Capitalist’s newly-released Happy City Index 2026, Singapore has officially been crowned the 2nd happiest city in Asia for the second year in a row. While European cities—led by Copenhagen holding the global number one spot—dominated the worldwide charts yet again, thanks to their generous welfare systems and unbeatable work-life balance, Asia held its own. Jumping to a highly respectable 22nd place globally, the Little Red Dot proved that our pristine streets, robust economy, and safe daily life carry serious weight on the world stage. Here’s what we know.
Why is Singapore highly ranked on the Happiest Cities list?
The 2026 index evaluated global cities on 64 different indicators. This includes governance, environment, healthcare, and mobility. Taking the crown for Asia is Tokyo at no.1—which achieved an impressive 5th spot globally. Meanwhile, Singapore jumped from 34th last year to 22nd on the global list this year. This was mainly due to wonderful public transportation networks, low crime rates, high life expectancy, and lush green spaces blended seamlessly throughout the city-state.
Here’s Asia’s top 7 happiest cities that made the Top 50 on the latest report:
- Tokyo, Japan
- Yokohama, Japan
- Singapore
- Seoul, South Korea
- New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Taipei City, Taiwan
- Incheon, South Korea
The 2026 Happy City Index heavily praised these 50 leading destinations for their growing emphasis on smart-city planning, technology innovation, top-quality public transport, and world-class healthcare.
Ironically, if you asked the average Singaporean on the street if they were truly happy—you’ll probably be met with skepticism. We can already hear the collective groans from locals who will strongly disagree with this piece of news. In fact, here’s what Singaporeans love to complain about the most just for fun.
