Don’t be surprised if you see more frowns around Vancouver lately. We are officially one of the least happiest cities in Canada, according to a new ranking.
Market researcher Leger recently released its latest Happiness Index, which provides “a snapshot of happiness as perceived by Canadians.”
A total of 39,841 Canadians aged 18 and over took part in the survey during the spring. The report ranks the happiness levels of provinces and cities in Canada.
British Columbia and Vancouver ranked towards the bottom of their respective lists.
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“The Leger results presented in this document are consistent with major national and international surveys, confirming a level of happiness that is relatively high but stagnant or even slightly down compared to the prepandemic period,” said Leger in its report.
In the ranking of Canada’s top 10 largest cities, Vancouver landed in eighth place with a happiness index score of 66.3.
This is several points lower than Mississauga in first place in the happiest cities list, with 70.3, as well as Canada’s average happiness index of 68.7.
Here’s where Canada’s top 10 largest cities rank when it comes to happiness:
Mississauga, Ont. — 70.3
Montreal, Que. — 69.4
Hamilton, Ont. — 67.5
Calgary, Alta. — 67.4
Brampton, Ont. — 66.7
Ottawa, Ont. — 66.4
Edmonton, Alta. — 66.3
Vancouver, B.C. — 66.3
Winnipeg, Man. — 65.9
Toronto, Ont. — 65.8
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B.C. only fared slightly better in the ranking of the happiest Canadian provinces, coming in seventh with an index of 68.
In comparison, Quebec was found to be the happiest province with a score of 72.4.
Here is the ranking of the happiest Canadian provinces:
Quebec — 72.4
New Brunswick — 70.2
Newfoundland and Labrador — 69.5
Saskatchewan — 68.5
Nova Scotia — 68.2
Alberta — 68
British Columbia — 68
Ontario — 67.2
Manitoba — 66.7
Prince Edward Island — 66.5
Leger’s Happy City index was created with results from a web survey conducted among 39,841 Canadians aged 18 and over who spoke English or French. According to Leger, a representative sample of the population was ensured by weighing results by gender, age and Canadian province.
Are you happy living in Vancouver? Let us know in the comments or send us an email at [email protected] with your thoughts, and we may contact you for a follow-up story.