The world’s happiest cities in 2026, according to locals

From access to culture and plenty of green space to vibey neighbourhoods and cool streets, there’s a lot that goes into making a city a great place to live (and visit). 

All of those factors – plus many, many more – go into Time Out’s annual ranking of the world’s best cities, which we curate using the responses of more than 24,000 locals in our mega annual survey. Alongside stuff like food, art and nightlife, locals are asked to rate the sense of community in their city, how easy it is to find love, and whether their city makes them happy.

How are the world’s happiest cities decided?

To rank the world’s happiest cities in 2026, we asked locals to respond to the following statements: 

• My city makes me happy
• I feel happier in my city than in other places I’ve lived or visited
• The people in my city seem positive
• I find joy in the everyday experiences my city offers
• The sense of happiness in my city has grown a lot recently

We then crunched the data to find out which cities received the highest percentage of positive responses. To ensure the list reflected cities globally, only the highest-ranked city for each country was included in the final 20.

A British city claims the top spot as the world’s happiest

Based on locals’ responses, the world’s happiest city in 2026 is (drum roll, please)... Bath!

The English city got all-round glowing reviews from locals for happiness, with 93 percent agreeing their city makes them happy, 92 percent saying they feel happier in Bath than elsewhere, 90 percent saying their neighbours seem positive, 91 percent finding joy in the everyday experiences their city offers and 76 percent agreeing the sense of happiness in their city has grown a lot recently.

Known for its ancient Roman bathhouses, gorgeous Georgian architecture and countryside surroundings, we can’t say we’re surprised people in Bath are a happy bunch. Eighty-three percent of locals in Bath said it’s easy to find community in the city, and it also topped the rankings for green space and nature.

In second place was Panama City, where 93 percent of respondents said their city makes them happy and 86 percent said they find joy in their everyday experiences. Panama‘s sprawling capital came top of the charts of all cities surveyed for community feel, as 87 percent of locals said it’s easy to make connections in the city.

Mexico’s Guadalajara came third, with a cumulative happiness score of 83 percent. The birthplace of mariachi and tequila, this Mexican city is loved by locals: its culture and food scene received 86 and 85 percent approval ratings, respectively, and 80 percent rated it highly for community feel.

The 20 happiest cities in the world in 2026

1. Bath, United Kingdom
2. Panama City, Panama
3. Guadalajara, Mexico
4. Medellín, Colombia
5. Krakow, Poland
6. Jaipur, India
7. Chicago, United States
8. Cape Town, South Africa
9. Shanghai, China
10. Gothenburg, Sweden
11. Montreal, Canada
12. São Paulo, Brazil
13. Valencia, Spain
14. Prague, Czech Republic
15. Melbourne, Australia
16. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
17. Hamburg, Germany
18. Porto, Portugal
19. Amsterdam, Netherlands
20. Chiang Mai, Thailand

🌇 Read the full guide to Time Out’s Best Cities with Intrepid Travel.

Did you see that the world’s most liveable cities in 2026 have been named?

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