Bucharest has ranked 247th out of 251 cities worldwide in the 2026 edition of the Happy City Index , placing the Romanian capital among the lowest-performing urban centers evaluated by the annual global study. The ranking, developed by the Institute for Quality of Life, assesses cities based on factors that contribute to residents’ wellbeing, quality of life, sustainability, governance, health, economy, environment, and mobility. The 2026 edition analyzed 251 cities using 64 indicators grouped