Health News, a magazine dedicated to health, has ranked Brussels as the second healthiest city in the world. In compiling its ranking, the media focused on around forty cities and based its assessment on ten specific criteria. Among these criteria were the happiness index, the average number of hours of physical exercise per week, average sleep duration, and the average workweek length.
Ahead of Brussels is Amsterdam in the Netherlands, which tops the ranking with a happiness score of 7.32 out of 10. Brussels loses some points due to its annual hours of sunlight but compensates notably with a very low air pollution index.
According to Health News, “The city’s air pollution index is one of the lowest, at only 20. In just four years, the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in the Brussels-Capital Region has reduced air pollution by 30%, demonstrating that this traffic regulation measure visibly improves health and environmental conditions.” For comparison, the air pollution index is 42 for Amsterdam and 28 for Porto, which ranks fourth in the list.
Furthermore, “Brussels ranks highest in satisfaction with healthcare services, with 87% of residents satisfied. The city is dotted with green spaces, parks, and forests, including the Sonian Forest, Bois de la Cambre, and Cinquantenaire Park.” Digging deeper into the figures, Brussels has a happiness score of 6.89 out of 10, and its residents engage in an average of 6.9 hours of physical exercise per week.
The top 10 healthiest cities in the world are:
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Brussels, Belgium
- Boston, United States
- Porto, Portugal
- Vancouver, Canada
- Chicago, United States
- Dublin, Ireland
- Melbourne, Australia
- Miami, United States
- Vienna, Austria
Sources: https://sosoir.lesoir.be/bruxelles-est-la-deuxieme-ville-la-plus-saine-au-monde-selon-un-classement
