Europe's Hidden Gems for Quality of Life

Living in a wealthy capital city gives you the best quality of life? Not necessarily. While Northern Europe consistently tops the Social Progress Index ranking, the 2026 EU Regional Social Progress Index discovers hidden gems where wellbeing and social outcomes far exceed economic development.We use the Social Progress Imperative methodology adopted by the European Commission to look beyond GDP. We explore regions that prove you don't need a massive bank balance to enjoy safety, clean environments, and advanced education.Places like Extremadura in Spain, Northern Portugal near Porto, Podlaskie in Poland, Northern and Western Ireland and the North Aegean Islands are your safe options when looking for places to live in Europe. Check out the full EU Regional Social Progress Index: https://www.socialprogress.org/thematic-webpages/european-union-regional-social-progress-indexPlease follow and rate our show! Explore our work at https://www.socialprogress.org/Interested in the Social Progress Index? Learn more. Help us advance social progress across the world! Your donation makes a huge difference to us. Donate now! Want the full story? Subscribe to our newsletter!