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The Economist Intelligence Unit has released its ranking of the world’s most liveable cities. In a comparison of 140 destinations, the report evaluated cities across safety, healthcare, education, culture, environment and infrastructure to determine which places offer the best living conditions. No U.S. city made the top seven, but several outstanding global destinations emerged that merit a spot on your travel list. -
Tied for seventh place are Tokyo and Toronto. While very different in character, both cities scored highly across the report’s metrics. Tokyo stood out for low crime rates and efficient public transport, and Toronto earned perfect marks for stability, healthcare and education. Japan and Canada both had multiple cities ranked among the top destinations.
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At number six, Vancouver is one of three Canadian cities in the top seven. Although it slipped slightly from previous rankings, Vancouver remains prized for high happiness levels, striking natural scenery, cultural diversity, a thriving food scene and abundant green spaces.
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Sydney climbed to fifth place, up from 11th the previous year, reflecting improvements in stability and safety. Many cities worldwide showed similar trends as terrorism-related threats stabilized, contributing to higher security scores.
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Calgary ranks fourth, earning perfect scores for stability, healthcare, education and infrastructure. Its lower scores in culture and environment prevented a higher ranking, but the city’s strong public services and safety standings keep it near the top.
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Osaka takes third place, marking a big rise from 14th the previous year. Improvements in public safety and transport contributed to its jump. One notable difference between Osaka and Tokyo is housing availability—Osaka ranked higher partly because higher-quality housing is less available in Tokyo.
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Melbourne ranks second, after previously holding the top spot. The city scored perfectly for healthcare, education and infrastructure but lost ground in stability and cultural/environmental metrics. Local commentators point to rising housing costs, youth-related crime in some areas and challenges with urban sprawl as factors affecting its ranking.
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Topping the list as the world’s most liveable city is Vienna. This is the first time Austria’s capital has earned the number-one spot, driven largely by improvements in stability. Vienna also benefits from affordable public transport, ample green space and a low crime rate, making it a consistently attractive place to live.
