Year in, year out, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) sets out to answer the big question that is on many homeowners’ and travellers’ minds – where really is the best place to live in the world? The answer has been confirmed in its highly anticipated Global Liveability Index but the cities making the top spots may come as a surprise.
The list evaluates up to 173 cities across the world, using many key indicators which factor in the areas’ stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. With these main categories in mind, cities were given an overall score out of 100. The city coming out top scored an impressive 98.
Taking the crown for the most desirable destination to live was Copenhagen in Denmark. According to the EIU, the three categories in which this city scored full marks were stability, education and infrastructure.
It managed to beat Vienna to the top spot, with a score of 97.1, despite the Austrian city previously being the big winner every year since 2022. The authors of the report claim: “Western Europe remains the best-performing region for liveability, having achieved the top scores in four of the five categories.”
Copenhagen has always been considered a first-class place to live due to its high quality of life, excellent infrastructure and continuous commitment to sustainability. The capital of Denmark offers a thriving culture for work-life balance and gives its residents a chance at having a positive well-being thanks to its accessible green spaces, fantastic food and clean water.
Another area performing high up on the rankings is the Asia-Pacific region, with a total of nine cities making their way into the top 20 list. Interestingly, it does also house the biggest range, with some cities at both the very top and the very bottom of the list.
The authors add: “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.
Across the UK, our cities do not score highly enough to be considered one of the most desirable locations to live. This is thought to be down to the unrest and rising crime rates. Although, a number of its major cities did still rank in the 173, including the capital London, Manchester and Edinburgh.
There has been an overall shift in the list due to the global decline in stability, according to the EIU, and that’s down to the number of terrorism threats paired with civil unrest, housing crises and other geopolitical tensions. It states: “In several West European cities, terrorist attacks and threats, as well as a rising incidence of crime and xenophobia, continue to undermine stability.”
The 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