Edmonton ranks second-last for happiness among Canada’s largest cities

Edmontonians are feeling a little happier than they were last year, although the city continues to trail most of Canada’s largest urban centres.

The city placed ninth in Leger’s 2026 happiness ranking of Canada’s 10 largest cities, recording a score of 67.7 out of 100.

That’s 1.4 points higher than last year’s score of 66.3, but YEG still falls below this year’s national score of 70.5.

Edmonton finished just behind Ottawa, which scored 68.3, and slightly ahead of last-place Winnipeg at 67.2. Calgary placed seventh with a score of 68.6.

Montreal was Canada’s happiest city with a score of 72.7, followed by Brampton at 71.7 and Toronto at 69.4.

Leger

Nationally, happiness levels increased across most of the country. Canada’s average score rose 1.8 points from 68.7 in 2025, while the number of Canadians who said their happiness deteriorated over the past year fell from 28 to 23 per cent.

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Another 52 per cent said their happiness remained stable, while 25 per cent reported an improvement.

When Canadians were asked what contributed to happiness in their municipality, they most commonly pointed to safety and security (46 per cent of respondents). Access to green spaces, parks, and nature followed at 40 per cent, while 27 per cent selected quality of neighbourhood life.

As for what is making Canadians unhappy, 58 per cent pointed to the cost of living, followed by physical health at 32 per cent, while another 23 per cent cited mental health and uncertainty about the future.

Leger’s rankings were based on an online survey of 63,710 Canadians conducted between June 9 and 29. The results were weighted by gender, age, and region to reflect the population.

The full ranking can be found on Leger’s website.