Jaipur At No. 6 On Global Happiness Index; Chicago Claims 7th Spot

India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI-Jaipur has been named one of the world’s happiest cities in Time Out’s 2026 rankings, with the Rajasthan capital securing the sixth spot. Chicago was the only U.S. city to feature in the top 10, ranking seventh.

The annual survey drew responses from more than 24,000 people worldwide, asking residents how they feel about life in their cities. Participants rated factors such as culture, green spaces, neighborhoods, street life, food, art and nightlife, while also sharing whether they feel a sense of community, find joy in everyday life and believe their city contributes to their happiness.

Residents were also asked whether their city makes them happy, whether they feel happier there than in other places they have lived or visited, whether people around them seem positive, and whether the overall sense of happiness in their city has improved in recent years.

Time Out calculated the percentage of positive responses to compile the rankings, with only the highest-ranked city from each country making the final list of 20.

Jaipur emerged as India’s highest-ranked city, while Chicago represented the United States in the global top 10.

England’s historic city of Bath topped the rankings. More than 93 percent of respondents from Bath said the city makes them happy, while 83 percent said it is easy to build a sense of community there. The rest of the top 10 included Panama City in Panama, Guadalajara in Mexico, Medellin in Colombia, Krakow in Poland, Jaipur in India, Chicago in the United States, Cape Town in South Africa, Shanghai in China and Gothenburg in Sweden.