Check out the top 10 most liveable cities in the world
After a prolonged period of disruptions due to the Covid pandemic, a return to normalcy is reshaping the list of the most liveable cities globally.
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The Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) Global Liveability Index 2023, which compiles the list, reveals that with life returning to its regular pace, there are improvements in education, healthcare, and cultural facilities. This year, the global average score reached its highest level in 15 years.
For the second consecutive year, Vienna, the Austrian capital, retains its title as the world's most liveable city, scoring high on a wide range of indicators. Copenhagen follows closely at the second spot. Sydney and Melbourne, which had experienced a dip in the rankings last year due to a highly infectious Covid strain, have now rebounded to secure the third and fourth positions, respectively.
Notably, cities in the Asia-Pacific region have seen significant improvement, with eight out of the 10 biggest upward movers coming from this area. Wellington in New Zealand climbed 35 spots to claim the 23rd position, while Auckland rose by 25 places to reach the 10th spot. Hanoi, Vietnam also moved up 20 places to secure the 129th rank.
Upasana Dutt, the head of the liveability index at EIU, mentioned, "The shift towards normality after the pandemic has overall boded well for global liveability in 2023." This positive shift has led to improvements in education and healthcare systems, particularly in developing economies of Asia and the Middle East.
On the other hand, some cities have experienced a decline in their rankings. Among the 10 cities that slipped the farthest, three were in the UK (Edinburgh, Manchester, and London), and two were in the US (Los Angeles and San Diego). However, most Chinese cities remained relatively stable compared to the previous year.
At the bottom of the list, Damascus, Syria, and Libya's Tripoli remained due to ongoing social unrest, terrorism, and conflict.
The EIU ranked 173 cities based on over 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. Data was collected between February 13 and March 12.
Here are the top 10 most liveable cities in 2023:
1. Vienna, Austria
2. Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Melbourne, Australia
4. Sydney, Australia
5. Vancouver, Canada
6. Zurich, Switzerland
7. Calgary, Canada
7. Geneva, Switzerland
9. Toronto, Canada
10. Osaka, Japan
10. Auckland, New Zealand
And here are the bottom 10:
164. Douala, Cameroon
165. Kyiv, Ukraine
166. Harare, Zimbabwe
166. Dhaka, Bangladesh
168. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
169. Karachi, Pakistan
170. Lagos, Nigeria
171. Algiers, Algeria
172. Tripoli, Libya
173. Damascus, Syria