Taipei tops happiness index, Chiayi City close second

CHIAYI (TVBS News) — Taipei City emerged as the champion of happiness, according to the "2023 County and City Happiness Index Survey" results released on Thursday (Nov. 30) by the Economic Daily News and Cathay Life Insurance.

Chiayi City followed closely behind, securing the runner-up position in the comprehensive assessment of citizen contentment across Taiwan.

Taichung City, Hsinchu City, and Taitung County were placed third, fourth, and fifth respectively in the happiness ranking, reflecting the positive living experiences reported by their residents.

In additional findings focusing on "Local Government Policy Satisfaction," Taichung City led with a 78.8% satisfaction rate, while both Chiayi City and Chiayi County shared the second spot with a 77.2% approval rating. Taitung County followed in fourth place at 76.1%, and Yunlin County took the fifth position with a 73.9% satisfaction score.

Key to Taipei City's top happiness index ranking was its outstanding government statistical performances and a significant rise in public opinion polls.

Chiayi City's happiness index shot up from fourth to second place this year, marking a consistent four-year presence among the top four jurisdictions.

Taichung City leaped from the tenth to the third rank and was awarded the "Most Improved Award" for achieving the highest government satisfaction rating in Taiwan.

Economic Daily News' President Liu Yung-ping highlighted the newspaper's twelve-year commitment to tracking positive societal changes through this annual survey.

At the announcement event, political figures, including Taipei Deputy Mayor Lin Yi-hua, Chiayi Mayor Huang Min-hui, Taichung Deputy Mayor Wang Yu-min, and Taitung County Magistrate Yao Ching-ling, were present to share their governance insights.

Both Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an and Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen also created special video segments to express their thoughts on their cities' achievements.

The survey, which questioned over 15,260 Taiwanese aged 20 and up, was carried out from Aug. 24 to Oct. 16, 2023, providing a robust sample for gauging the happiness and governance satisfaction of Taiwan's residents.