According to the zoo, the list ranks Europe's leading zoos based on an evaluation of the visitor's experience, services, and professional work, among other things.

Of the 126 European zoos on the list, the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden has 207 points, putting it ahead of all domestic zoos (four in total) and several well-known such as the Copenhagen Zoo, Berlin Zoo, Artis Zoo in Amsterdam, the Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg, London Zoo, Antwerp Zoo, Barcelona Zoo, the Loro Parque in Tenerife and both zoos in Paris.