Vienna, renowned for its beauty and charm, is also a top place to live.
The Austrian capital has once again been named the most liveable city globally, according to the latest annual report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), published today. The EIU, an offshoot of The Economist, assessed 173 cities worldwide based on healthcare, culture and environment, stability, infrastructure, and education.
Vienna secured the top spot for the third year in a row, achieving perfect scores in four of the five categories. However, it was rated slightly lower in culture and environment due to a perceived lack of major sporting events. Following Vienna, Copenhagen in Denmark maintained its position as the second most liveable city, while Zurich in Switzerland climbed from sixth to third place.
Melbourne, Australia, dropped from third to fourth place. Meanwhile, Calgary in Canada and Geneva in Switzerland tied for fifth. Vancouver, Canada, and Sydney, Australia, shared the seventh spot. Osaka, Japan, and Auckland, New Zealand, completed the top 10, tying for ninth place.
Western Europe performed well overall, with 30 cities achieving an average score of 92 out of 100. However, the region experienced a decline in stability scores due to an increase in disruptive protests and crime. Honolulu, Hawaii, was the highest-ranked US city, placing 23rd, with Atlanta, Georgia, moving up four spots to 29th place. Los Angeles and New York ranked 58th and 70th, respectively.
North America scored the highest average for education but saw a drop in infrastructure scores. Canada, in particular, faced challenges due to an acute housing crisis, significantly impacting Vancouver, which fell slightly but stayed in the top 10. Toronto, which was ninth in 2023, slipped to 12th place.
London, the UK capital, was ranked 45th most liveable city. In Asia, Hong Kong showed the most improvement, rising from 61st to 50th place due to better stability and healthcare scores. Cities in the UAE, including Abu Dhabi and Dubai, also saw notable score increases, as did Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia. Conversely, Tel Aviv, Israel, dropped 20 places to 112th due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Global liveability has slightly improved over the past year. However, stability risks persist, according to Barsali Bhattacharyya, deputy industry director at EIU. High inflation, interest rates, and other economic challenges have led to frequent global protests. There was minimal change at the bottom of the list, with Damascus, Syria, remaining the least liveable city. Tripoli, Libya; Algiers, Algeria; and Lagos, Nigeria, ranked just above Damascus.
The study highlighted the lack of improvement in the overall scores of the bottom four cities since 2023. Bhattacharyya noted that increasing civil unrest and demonstrations, such as those across US campuses, indicate ongoing stress on liveability, which is unlikely to improve soon.
Here are the top 10 cities in the 2024 Global Liveability Index:
- Vienna, Austria
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Melbourne, Australia
- Calgary, Canada
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Sydney, Australia
- Vancouver, Canada
- Osaka, Japan
- Auckland, New Zealand