A recent European Commission survey into life satisfaction levels has found that citizens of Vilnius are amongst the happiest in Europe. Vilnius had the joint second highest score out of the 79 cities surveyed, with 98% of those asked stating they are satisfied with their life in the Lithuanian capital. Only Oslo and Zurich scored higher.
The poll asked 40,000 Europeans across the continent’s major cities whether they were satisfied with their city overall, and how they felt on specific issues such as healthcare, transportation, public safety and pollution. Key areas that Vilnius residents highlighted included cleanliness, the quality of shopping in the city and the level of trust between citizens.
European cities boast some of the highest levels of quality of life in the world, yet there are wide disparities within the continent. Northern European countries featured prominently in the European Commission’s survey, with Norway, Lithuania and Denmark boasting the highest national averages. By contrast, countries in the south such as Greece, Turkey and Italy registered the lowest levels of quality of life.
Satisfaction levels amongst Lithuania’s neighbours varied widely. Whilst Poland ranked 9th overall, Estonia and Latvia registered lower quality of life levels, coming in 17th and 24th respectively.
