The Economist Intelligence Unit has released its annual Global Liveability Index, which ranks the best cities to live in the world – and the top spot may come as a surprise
Year after year, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) attempts to tackle the burning question that occupies countless homeowners’ and travellers’ thoughts – which destination truly offers the finest quality of life globally?
The answer has been revealed in its eagerly awaited Global Liveability Index, though the cities claiming the premier positions might catch you off guard.
The ranking assesses up to 173 cities worldwide, employing numerous crucial indicators that consider each area’s stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.
With these primary categories taken into account, cities received an overall rating out of 100.
The city securing first place achieved an outstanding 98, reports the Express.
Claiming the title for the most coveted place to call home was Copenhagen in Denmark.
According to the EIU, the three areas where this city achieved perfect scores were stability, education and infrastructure.
It succeeded in overtaking Vienna for the premier position, with a rating of 97.1, despite the Austrian capital having been the consistent champion annually since 2022.
The report’s authors say: “Western Europe remains the best-performing region for liveability, having achieved the top scores in four of the five categories.”
Copenhagen has long been regarded as a top-tier destination for residents thanks to its exceptional quality of life, superb infrastructure and unwavering dedication to environmental responsibility.
Denmark’s capital provides a flourishing environment for balancing work and personal life, offering inhabitants the opportunity for enhanced wellbeing through its readily available green areas, outstanding cuisine and pure water supplies.
Another region scoring highly in the rankings is the Asia-Pacific area, with nine cities securing spots in the top 20 list.
Remarkably, it also contains the widest spectrum, featuring cities at both the pinnacle and the bottom of the rankings.
The researchers note: “Its most liveable city, Melbourne, came fourth in the rankings this year, while its least liveable, Dhaka, came 171st.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. may have been shut out of the global top 20 again; cities ranking well are Honolulu in Hawaii, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Seattle and Washington.
Throughout Britain, our urban centres fail to achieve scores high enough to be deemed amongst the most coveted places to reside.
This is believed to stem from social unrest and escalating crime figures.
Nevertheless, several of its principal cities still featured within the 173, including the capital London, Manchester and Edinburgh. The EIU has noted a significant shift in the rankings due to a worldwide decrease in stability, largely attributed to an increase in terrorism threats, civil unrest, housing crises and other geopolitical tensions.
The report states: “In several West European cities, terrorist attacks and threats, as well as a rising incidence of crime and xenophobia, continue to undermine stability.”
Here are the top 20 best cities to live in the world:.
1. Copenhagen, Denmark.
2. Vienna, Austria (tie).
2. Zurich, Switzerland (tie).
4. Melbourne, Australia.
5. Geneva, Switzerland.
6. Sydney, Australia.
7. Osaka, Japan (tie).
7. Auckland, New Zealand (tie).
9. Adelaide, Australia.
10. Vancouver, Canada.
11. Luxembourg.
12. Toronto, Canada.
13. Helsinki, Finland.
14. Tokyo, Japan.
15. Perth, Australia.
16. Brisbane, Australia.
17. Frankfurt, Germany.
18. Calgary, Canada.
19. Amsterdam, Netherlands.
20. Wellington, New Zealand.