Where is the least stressful place to live in the world?
According to the The Least and Most Stressful Cities Index 2021 released this month, Reykjavik, Iceland, earned the top spot as the least stressful city around the world, followed by Bern, Switzerland, and Helsinki, Finland.
According to data on light pollution, LGBT safety and living costs, Helsinki is the least stressful city in the world – with 0% of the population living in poverty.
In contrast, Iceland ranks as the least stressed country in Europe with a 'Stress Score' of 47.41. It has the shortest average commute time in Europe at just 15 minutes, along with the lowest poverty rate in Europe of 9%, making Iceland the least stressful European country to live in.
Globally, Vienna tops the ranking for the 10th year running, closely followed by Zurich, the runner-up. This year, Mercer provides a separate ranking on personal safety. Western Europe dominates the ranking, with Luxembourg named as the safest city in the world.
Of the 15 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S., Seattle is apparently the most stressed out. The city has the highest percentage of adult residents who reported feeling "nervous, anxious or on edge" for at least several days in the last two weeks, The Seattle Times reported, citing data from the Census Bureau.
Three of the top-10 least stressed cities in the world are in Australia, with Brisbane ranking highest. All of the top-10 least stressed cities are in the northern hemisphere, except those in Australia.
Melbourne has been named Australia's most liveable city and the 10th in the world in the Global Liveability Index 2022 . Released by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the title is awarded to the city with the highest score for stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.
Melbourne is considered by some to be the best city to live in Australia, and has even been ranked as the world's most livable city more than once. It's home to a thriving live music scene, late-night bars and laneways dotted with cafés and coffee shops.
For the fifth year in a row, Finland is the world's happiest country, according to World Happiness Report rankings based largely on life evaluations from the Gallup World Poll.
