Where Australia's happiest singles live

On March 20 the world celebrated the United Nations’ International Day of Happiness. As part of that jovial day, the UN releases its annual World Happiness Report¹, a study that ranks countries based on the happiness of their citizenry. And out of 155 nations, Australia came 9th! Eager to dig deeper, EliteSingles ran its own research to reveal the areas where the happiest Aussie singles live – did your hometown make the top 10?

What is the World Happiness Report?

The pursuit of happiness should never be underestimated – after all it’s a basic human need that’s vital to leading a rich and fulfilling life. There are a whole host of different variables that contribute to happiness; no wonder why it’s a subject that’s been mulled over by some of the most amazing minds throughout history. Philosophising aside, having a happy relationship with a partner is a central part of feeling content, and that’s one of the reasons EliteSingles is always so intrigued by the World Happiness Report.

The report in question is a large-scale quantitative survey that assesses the state of global happiness. Released in tandem with the United Nation’s (UN) International Day of Happiness, an event established in 2012 by UN advisor Jayme Illien, the report ranks 155 countries based on their happiness levels.

2017’s edition is the fifth of its kind to be released. One of its main purposes is to inform executive debates the UN has on happiness and well-being. It continues to gain recognition from governments, NGOs and civil societies worldwide as a reliable indicator of happiness. Given that happiness is widely regarded as integral to social progress, the study is increasingly being used by policymakers to design and implement legislation.

Australia’s top 10 happiest places

Out of 150-plus nations Australia registered as the 9th happiest country in the world, beating America (14th) and Britain (19th) to make it into the top 10 (though New Zealand edged it into 8th spot!). On the back of an impressive result, our research team was curious to take a closer look at happiness levels in Australia.

Based on anonymous data collated from 14,700 Aussie singles registered with EliteSingles, we examined how highly respondents scored themselves when asked how happy they felt. From this we were then able to geographically pinpoint where Australia’s jolliest singles reside.

So, if you’re eager to meet someone whose brow is seldom furrowed, here are the top 10 Aussie places where you might be able to find an upbeat partner…

1. Geelong (VIC)
2. Sunshine Coast (QLD)
3. Ballarat (VIC)
4. Toowoomba (QLD)
5. Gold Coast (QLD)
6. Mandurah (WA)
7. Darwin (NT)
8. Cairns (QLD)
9. Port Macquarie (NSW)
10. Brisbane (QLD)

Cheery Geelong takes top spot

After a quick peek at the map, it’s easy to glean that happy Australians can be found nationwide. Coming in at top spot is Geelong. Home to a population of 187,400 people, Victoria’s second largest city came out on top after we aggregated the scores we received from EliteSingles members living there. Ballarat, the third biggest Victorian city, also made it into the top three, proving that you don’t always have to be beside the seaside to be merry.

It’s fair to say that Australia’s happiest state is without doubt Queensland; 5 out of 10 places featured in our list fall within the state’s borders. Sunshine Coast narrowly missed out on pole position, even although Mooloolaba had one of the highest scores in Australia before we averaged out the data for the region. Needless to say, a potential clue as to why this coastal hub is populated by so many happy singles is in its name; a beach-centric lifestyle coupled with glorious weather are always going to have a positive impact on happiness levels!

Interestingly, Brisbane was the only big metropolis to make it into the list. We also think this could have something to do with the Queensland capital’s temperate climate; Brissie is the second sunniest city in Australia as it gets on average 261 days of sun annually. That’s not forgetting that it’s packed with outdoor spaces and plenty of cultural highlights too.

If the place you call home made it into our top 10, we’re confident it will be another excuse to keep on smiling. If it didn’t make the cut, don’t be too disheartened. As Monday’s report revealed, we should be content that, as a country, we’re amongst the happiest folk in the world. And what’s not to be cheerful about that!