Survey finds Canberra to be the happiest city in Australia
Canberra: People seeking a life in Australia have a good reason to put Canberra, the Australian capital city, on their priority list. A new survey by the University of Canberra’s Health Research Institute has found that the city’s residents are happier on average than people in other Australian cities.
According to the Living well in the ACT region survey, 17.6 per cent of ACT adults reported a level of low wellbeing compared to 24.8 per cent of all Australians. The report measures several wellbeing indicators, including personal wellbeing, access and connectivity, nature connection, health, identity and belonging, living standards, safety, and social connection. The survey suggests that many actually managed to maintain their wellbeing despite the challenges of lockdown.
Lead researcher, Professor Jacki Schirmer said, “This research was particularly interesting, given its ability to compare how the level of wellbeing changed between the first and second COVID-19 lockdowns in the ACT in 2020 and 2021, with surveys collecting data was carried out during both lockdowns.”
According to Schirmer, while personal wellbeing fell during the first lockdown, it didn’t decline as significantly for most Canberrans during the second.
The study found wellbeing among residents to be high across the city unlike in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, where there are pockets of high wellbeing. Other cities reported much lower wellbeing in the survey.
Recently, Canberra earned the title of Australia’s most liveable city and retained the top global placing in the 2022 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings for reducing inequalities. The city is known for its inclusive community and diversity and has a reputation for being friendly, welcoming, and accepting of other cultures.
Students interested in studying in Australia would be excited to know that Canberra also has the highest employment rate, highest average salary, and some of the best infrastructure and services in the country. It is also among the most affordable student cities in Australia with reasonably priced accommodations and a low cost of living compared to most other Australian cities.