For the third consecutive year, the Austrian capital "Vienna" sits at the top of the list of the most livable cities in the world, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. The annual report aims to show the comfort or livability of a city, evaluating 173 cities worldwide based on 30 indicators divided into five categories: stability, healthcare, culture, environment, education, and infrastructure. Thanks to its ideal results in the areas of stability, healthcare, education, and infrastructure, Vienna topped this year's list, followed closely by its Western European counterparts: Copenhagen, Denmark, took second place, and Zurich, Switzerland, came in third. Vienna's overall score took a slight hit in the categories of culture and environment, "due to the absence of major sporting events," according to the EIU's Global Liveability Index for 2024.
Here are the ten most livable cities in the world:
1. Vienna, Austria
2. Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Zurich, Switzerland
4. Melbourne, Australia
5. Calgary, Canada
6. Geneva, Switzerland
7. Sydney, Australia
8. Vancouver, Canada
9. Osaka, Japan
10. Auckland, New Zealand
Four cities in the Asia-Pacific region made it to the top ten this year: the Australian cities of Melbourne and Sydney, as well as Osaka in Japan and Auckland in New Zealand. Western Europe was the best-performing region globally in terms of livability, scoring an overall 92 out of 100. However, it has declined since last year due to increased protests and crime, which have impacted stability scores, according to the report. North America ranked as the second-best region, averaging 90.5 out of 100 and scoring highest in education. EIU noted that Canada’s ongoing housing crisis has led to a drop in infrastructure scores.
### The Least Livable Cities in the World
Cities in the Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa regions dominate the bottom ten. According to the report, Damascus in Syria and Tripoli in Libya are ranked as the lowest two cities in livability following civil unrest that devastated their economies. Kyiv in Ukraine was ranked as the ninth least livable city in the world, as the country continues to engage in active armed conflict following the Russian invasion in February 2022. Tel Aviv experienced the largest drop, falling 20 places to rank 112 globally, attributed to its ongoing war with Gaza since October 7.
