Reykjavík: The Third Happiest City In The World

The overwhelming majority of people living in Reykjavík are happy to be here, a new European Commission survey shows.

According to the survey, which measured levels of satisfaction with the cities residents live in, 66% of those who live in Reykjavík said they were very satisfied, and 31% said they were satisfied. Almost everyone living in Iceland’s capital is therefore pleased with the experience.

Even these high numbers do not put Reykjavík in the top spot. That honour goes to Aalborg, in Denmark, wherein 72% were very satisfied and 24% were satisfied. In second place was Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, with 67% very satisfied and 28% satisfied.

For many years, Icelanders were ranked amongst the happiest people in the world, appearing at the top of the Happiness Index time and again. That changed in 2012, when overall life happiness in Iceland declined, taking the country to 20th place.

Things have apparently gotten better since then, as the country rose to 5th happiest place to live last year.