The Center for Wellbeing, Welfare and Happiness (CWWH) at the Stockholm School of Economics and Stockholm Business Region are working together to apply the Stockholm Wellbeing Index, a framework that measures how people experience life in the city. The index is based on four core questions covering overall life satisfaction, happiness, meaning and life richness, combined into a score between 1 and 10. 

In the first quarter of 2026, Stockholm recorded a wellbeing index score of 6.79 out of 10, remaining stable compared to the previous quarter (6.76). The measurement is based on a representative sample of approximately 1000 randomly selected resident in the Stockholm region, following an established methodology aligned with the UN World Happiness Report. The index also captures factors such as quality of life, trust, social connection and access to culture, and links them to how cities attract talent, innovation and long-term growth. The aim is to complement traditional economic indicators with a more complete understanding of what makes a city competitive and resilient. 

New insights show that experiences such as concerts and major events have a clear and measurable impact on wellbeing. A single major event corresponds to a wellbeing value of approximately SEK 1,409 per person monthly, with a total annual value exceeding SEK 5.3 billion, reflecting the estimated impact on indivuals’ experienced value, rather than direct financial revenue. More than 60 percent of residents have attended a major event in the past year, with a clear positive link to how they experience life in the city.

The full report can be found here: Swedish/English