Login
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)’s Global Liveability Index 2018 has ranked Vienna, Austria as the world’s most liveable city, dropping Melbourne, Australia to the number two spot for the first time in seven years. The index surveys 140 cities annually based on stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure categories. Cities from Canada, Australia, Japan and Denmark comprise the other top ten most livable cities.
Melbourne and Vienna have been contending for the top spot for the past seven editions of the Global Liveability Index, but this year Vienna was able to tip the balance by outranking Melbourne in the Stability category, which includes prevalence of petty and violent crime, threat of terror and threat of military and civil conflict.
The organization points to threats of militant attacks in Western Europe and Vienna’s low crime rate as contributing factors that helped the city score higher in the stability category. It is important to remember that scores are given in comparison to other cities, not based on the city’s performance alone. Both of the top two cities scored maximum points (out of 100 total possible) in terms of healthcare, education and infrastructure.
The Top Ten Most Livable Cities
- Vienna, Austria
- Melbourne, Australia
- Osaka, Japan
- Calgary, Canada
- Sydney, Australia
- Vancouver, Canada
- Toronto, Canada
- Tokyo, Japan
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Adelaide, Australia
The cities that displayed the most improvement in ratings in the last five years include
- Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
- Hanoi, Vietnam
- Belgrade, Serbia
- Tehran, Iran
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Read the full report here.