Ede residents happiest in Netherlands; Rotterdam, Amsterdam unhappiest

Residents of the medium-sized Gelderland city of Ede are the happiest in the Netherlands, according to the Atlas for Municipalities. Alphen aan den Rijn and Amstelveen follow in second and third place. People in Rotterdam are the most unhappy in the country, closely followed by Amsterdam, the Volkskrant reports.

In Ede 89 percent of residents are happy. According to the researchers, this can be attributed to relatively many residents having a job and being of good health. Ede also offers a pleasant, safe living environment with lots of space and rest. The top five happiest cities in the Netherlands are: Ede, Alphen aan den Rijn, Amstelveen, Amersfoort and Gouda. 

Especially people who are single, unemployed, have an occupational disability and have an immigration background tend to be unhappy with their lives, researcher Gerard Marlet said to Het Parool. One reason for the unhappiness in large cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam is that relatively many of their residents fit into those descriptions. In both cities over 18 percent of residents are unhappy. It should also be noted that this study was done before Feyenoord won the Eredivisie title. 

The top five unhappiest municipalities in the country are: Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Arnhem, The Hague and Sittard-Geleen. 

On average 87 percent of the Dutch population is happy, putting the Netherlands in second place on the European ranking of happy countries. Denmark is first. Worldwide the Netherlands is the sixth happiest country, according to the World Happiness Report.