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It’s been a big year for Melbourne on the global stage, with the Victorian capital nabbing the title of the world’s best city for 2026. But now, there’s a new town topping the charts, and it’s probably not where you’d expect. According to the latest Happy City Index, the regional Victorian town of Ballarat has officially been crowned the happiest city in Australia for 2026, landing an impressive 16th place globally.
The annual index – developed by the Institute for Quality of Life – looks at 251 cities across 64 indicators, spanning everything from governance and environment to health, mobility and overall quality of life. Translation: this isn’t just about solid brunch options (though Ballarat has those, too) – it’s a deep dive into what actually makes a city a great place to live.
Ballarat scored highly across economic growth and green space, boasting more than double the average amount of greenery per person. The research also noted a strong influx of new residents – a sign more people are choosing to call it home – as evidence that this regional centre is clearly hitting a sweet spot between lifestyle and opportunity. It also puts things into perspective for us city slickers. While Melbourne is still very much that girl, it landed at 108th place this year, just missing out on the top 100. Elsewhere, Geelong (122nd) and Adelaide (71st) also made the cut, alongside a handful of other Aussie cities.
Globally, the top spots were dominated by Europe, with Copenhagen, Helsinki and Geneva leading the pack – places known for their balance of sustainability, impressive public infrastructure and overall liveability.
But Ballarat’s standout result proves you don’t need to be a sprawling metropolis to deliver the goods. In fact, it’s exactly that smaller-scale charm – paired with solid infrastructure and a growing economy – that seems to be keeping the people here so happy. If you’ve been toying with the idea of a tree change (or just plotting your next weekend getaway), consider this your sign.
These are the happiest Australian cities in 2026:
- Ballarat, VIC (16th place)
- Maitland, NSW (35th place)
- Adelaide, SA (71st place)
- Melbourne, VIC (108th place)
- Geelong, VIC (122nd place)
- Hobart, TAS (132nd place)
- Rockhampton, QLD (168th place)
These are the happiest cities in the world in 2026:
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Helsinki, Finland
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Uppsala, Sweden
- Tokyo, Japan
- Trondheim, Norway
- Bern, Switzerland
- Malmö, Sweden
- Munich, Germany
- Aarhus, Denmark
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Barcelona, Spain
- Espoo, Finland
- Oslo, Norway
- The Hague, Netherlands
- Ballarat, Australia
- Aalborg, Denmark
- Yokohama, Japan
- Lugano, Switzerland
- Reykjavik, Iceland
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