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The 19 most sociable and friendly cities in the world

Alison Millington
Monday 27 February 2017 15:35 GMT
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(Getty)

The most social cities in the world have been revealed by global hostel booking site Hostelworld — and London doesn't make the top 20.

The Sociable Cities study analysed the social behaviour and attitudes of over 12,000 residents from 39 major cities in 28 countries.

It looked at 10 categories, including how — and how often — residents socialise, their general openness to others, trust in friends, and use of social media.

Scandinavian and North American cities top the list — and London doesn't appear in the top 20, ranking 21st.

From sunny Sydney to friendly Toronto, scroll down to see the most sociable cities on the planet.

19. Berlin, Germany

The Reichstag will be recreated so the Russian youngsters have something true-to-life to attack (Sean Gallup/Getty)

Residents in Berlin have the second highest level of trust in their friends, putting the city in 19th place.

18. Milan, Italy

Milan has the highest level of openess towards others, means it's the perfect spot for travellers interested in meeting locals.

Its residents are also the most willing to mingle while travelling themselves.

17. Vancouver, Canada

Vancouver, located in a country known for its friendly people, came in 17th on the list.

16. Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki has the second highest score in the world for socialising.

15. Warsaw, Poland

(Getty (Getty)

Residents of Warsaw place their third highest value on entertaining at home, meaning this is a great place to get an authentic home-cooked meal.

14. Baltimore, USA

Baltimore, Maryland is the first city in the US to make the top 19.

13. Paris, France

The Parisians have certainly made a name for themselves for their unique culture, which places the third highest in the world on socialising.

12. Sydney, Australia

What's not to love in sunny Sydney, which put Australia on the social map in 12th place.

11. Toronto, Canada

(Getty Images/iStockphoto) (Getty)

Perhaps unsurprisingly, another Canadian city made the list. Toronto is known for its annual Pride festival, which will take place in June this year.

10. Dublin, Ireland

Buzzing Dublin came in 10th place thanks to its social, friendly vibe.

9. Hamburg, Germany

Residents of Hamburg are accepting to a wide range of lifestyles, showing the third highest openness to others in the world.

They are also the third most willing to mingle with new people when they travel themselves.

8. Rome, Italy

The Italians appear again in eighth place, thanks to Rome, which has the second highest level of openness to others, and the second highest number of residents most open to meet new people when they travel.

7. Madrid, Spain

If you've visited Madrid, you will have noticed that locals start their evenings late and are often out until dawn. The city's residents are the most likely in the world to look for "any excuse to party," according to Hostelworld, and also have the second highest frequency of meeting friends.

6. Copenhagen, Denmark

(AFP/Getty (AFP/Getty)

Copenhagen ranked highly in a number of categories, making it a truly sociable city. Its residents have the second most liberal thinking other people's lifestyles in the world.

They are also the second most likely to value social priorities over their own individual priorities, are the most likely to value entertaining at home, and are the third most frequent users of social media.

5. New York City, New York

New Yorkers eat out more than anyone else in the world, making it the perfect vacation destination for foodies looking to meet people over dinner. They eat out 89 times per year on average — once every four days.

4. Boston, USA

(MK Feeney/flickr (MK Feeney/flickr)

Boston's residents have the third highest frequency both of seeing friends and of eating out — they do so several times a week.

3. Chicago, USA

Another foodie spot, residents of Chicago have the second highest frequency of dining out, and average 88 out-of-home social occasions per year, putting the city in third place.

2. Stockholm, Sweden

The runner up for most sociable city in the world is Stockholm, Sweden, which has the most liberal residents in the world. Locals are also the second most frequent users of social media, and are incredibly community-minded.

1. Gothenburg, Sweden


 

Gothenburg, another Swedish destination, is the most sociable and open-minded city in the world.

Its residents place their highest value on the planet on socialising, are most likely to value social priorities over their own individual priorities, and are the third most liberal city in terms of their attitudes towards other people's lifestyles.

They are also the most frequent users of social media, place the third highest amount of trust in friends, and are the third most likely group to look for "any excuse to party."

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