Only One Canadian City Makes A New List Of The World’s Friendliest Cities

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Canadians have long held a global reputation as being one of the friendliest countries in the world, but it seems to be noticeably absent from a new survey.

On October 27, Time Out published a study where they polled over 18,500 residents worldwide, asking them one simple question: Is your city friendly and welcoming? Their answers revealed the 20 most amiable destinations on the planet – and only one city in all of Canada made the list.

Locals were asked how likely they were to describe their hometown as ‘welcoming and friendly’, and the results may surprise you.

Claiming the number one spot is Porto, Portugal. A staggering 85% of Porto locals described their city as friendly. It’s not just the people, either; residents also ranked it as the fourth most beautiful city and the eighth-best overall city in the world.

In second place is Bilbao, Spain. 71% of its residents praised the city’s welcoming vibe. It’s one of four Spanish cities to make the top 20, more than any other country on the list.

Coming in third is Medellin, Colombia. This vibrant city is known for its incredible food and buzzing nightlife, and 69% of its residents say it’s friendly. It was also voted the second-happiest city in the entire world.

While Spain and the UK had multiple cities on the list, other nations were less represented.

For Canadians wondering where their famously polite cities ranked, only one Canadian city managed to crack the top 20: Montreal, which landed at number 17.

Here is the full list, ranked by the percentage of locals who call their hometown welcoming:

1. Porto, Portugal
2. Bilbao, Spain
3. Medellin, Colombia
4. Cape Town, South Africa
5. Lagos, Nigeria
6. Brighton, UK
7. Madrid, Spain
8. Lisbon, Portugal
9. Chicago, USA
10. Belfast, UK
11. Hanoi, Vietnam
12. New Orleans, USA
13. Valencia, Spain
14. Glasgow, UK
15. Abu Dhabi, UAE
16. Chiang Mai, Thailand
17. Montreal, Canada
18. Seville, Spain
19. Brisbane, Australia
20. Dubai, UAE

It seems that perhaps Canadians don’t think of ourselves as friendly as other countries around the world see us! Do you agree with this list?