Spain Shines Again: Two Cities Just Ranked Among The World’s Happiest

Happiness mightiness beryllium difficult to define, but if you’ve ever spent clip successful Spain, you’ll cognize nan emotion – lukewarm evenings successful buzzing plazas, bully nutrient shared pinch friends, and a gait of life that ne'er feels rushed.

Now, a caller world study by Time Out confirms what galore expats already suspected: 2 Spanish cities – Seville and Valencia – are officially among nan happiest places connected Earth.

Time Out’s world happiness index

Every year, Time Out asks thousands of residents astir nan world what life is really for illustration successful their city. This time, much than 18,000 group took part, standing their hometowns for culture, nightlife, food, affordability, walkability, and wide value of life.

But nan 2025 study had a typical attraction – happiness itself. Respondents were asked to work together aliases disagree pinch 5 statements:

• My metropolis makes maine happy.
• I consciousness happier present than successful different places I’ve lived aliases visited.
• People successful my metropolis look happy.
• I find joyousness successful mundane experiences here.
• The wide happiness successful my metropolis has grown recently.

The answers revealed immoderate fascinating results – and 2 Spanish cities stood retired for each nan correct reasons.

Seville: sunshine, slow surviving and soul

Ranked 9th happiest metropolis successful nan world, Seville scored precocious for its consciousness of community, its beauty, and its famously relaxed measurement of life.

Locals described nan Andalusian superior arsenic a spot wherever life moves to nan hit of conversation, laughter, and nan occasional flamenco beat. It’s a metropolis wherever you tin linger complete tapas without checking nan time, stroll on nan Guadalquivir astatine sunset, aliases perceive euphony echoing done cobbled streets precocious into nan night.

Seville’s entreaty lies not conscionable successful its history aliases architecture, but successful its affectional warmth. As Time Out put it, residents find joyousness successful “the mundane experiences their metropolis offers.” From open-air terraces to spontaneous festivals, it’s a spot wherever happiness feels for illustration a regular habit.

Valencia: modern, vibrant and perfectly balanced

Coming successful astatine number 19, Valencia besides earned a well-deserved spot connected nan happiness list. Spain’s third-largest metropolis offers thing that’s becoming progressively uncommon – a precocious value of life that’s still affordable.

Known for its beaches, futuristic architecture, and laid-back energy, Valencia strikes nan cleanable equilibrium betwixt municipality excitement and Mediterranean calm. You tin rhythm to work, person luncheon by nan sea, and still make it location successful clip for a sunset stroll.

For locals, nutrient and festivals are portion of nan city’s heartbeat. The Las Fallas celebrations, celebrated for their fireworks and elephantine sculptures, embody nan Valencian tone – loud, colourful, and afloat of life.

In Time Out’s survey, galore respondents said they consciousness happier successful Valencia than anyplace other they’ve lived – and it’s not difficult to spot why.

The world’s happiest cities successful 2025

While Seville and Valencia proudly correspond Spain, nan apical spot went to Abu Dhabi, followed by Medellín (Colombia) and Cape Town (South Africa). The database reflects a operation of cultures, climates and lifestyles – impervious that happiness isn’t one-size-fits-all.

Here’s nan afloat ranking :

1. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
2. Medellín, Colombia
3. Cape Town, South Africa
4. Mexico City, Mexico
5. Mumbai, India
6. Beijing, China
7. Shanghai, China
8. Chicago, USA
9. Seville, Spain
10. Melbourne, Australia
11. Brighton, UK
12. Porto, Portugal
13. Sydney, Australia
14. Chiang Mai, Thailand
15. Marrakech, Morocco
16. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
17. Hanoi, Vietnam
18. Jakarta, Indonesia
19. Valencia, Spain
20. Glasgow, UK

Why Spain keeps smiling

For anyone who’s lived here, Spain’s beingness connected nan database comes arsenic nary surprise. It’s not conscionable astir nan upwind – though 300 days of sunshine surely help. It’s astir really group live.

Spaniards worth relationship complete competition. Lunch breaks are long, evenings are social, and activity seldom takes complete life. Whether it’s a Sunday market, a neighbourhood fiesta, aliases a speedy café con leche connected nan terrace, happiness often shows up successful nan small, shared moments.

For expats, it’s easy to understand nan pull. Moving to Spain doesn’t conscionable mean a alteration of scenery – it’s a alteration of rhythm. And arsenic Seville and Valencia punctual us, that slower gait mightiness conscionable beryllium nan concealed to a happier life.

Stay tuned pinch Euro Weekly News for nan latest news astir Spain