What Keeps Vienna at the Top of the Liveability Index? Experts Weigh In

Vienna has once again been named the world’s most liveable city by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The Austrian capital has topped the EIU’s annual list for the third consecutive year, reaffirming its reputation not only as a beautiful city to visit but also as an unbeatable place to live. The EIU, a sister organization to The Economist, evaluated 173 cities worldwide based on critical factors such as health care, culture and environment, stability, infrastructure, and education.

Vienna achieved “perfect” scores in four out of five categories. The city’s healthcare, stability, infrastructure, and education were all rated as exemplary. However, the city scored slightly lower in the culture and environment category due to a perceived lack of significant sporting events. Despite this minor shortcoming, Vienna’s overall performance kept it at the top of the list.

Following closely behind Vienna, Copenhagen retained its second-place position, demonstrating Denmark’s commitment to providing high quality of life for its residents. Zurich, Switzerland, moved up from sixth to third place, showcasing improvements in its liveability factors.

Australia’s Melbourne, previously in third place, fell to fourth, while Canada’s Calgary tied for fifth place with Geneva, Switzerland. Vancouver, another Canadian city, along with Australia’s Sydney, shared the seventh position. Japan’s Osaka and New Zealand’s Auckland rounded out the top 10 in joint ninth place.

Western Europe performed notably well, with 30 cities averaging a score of 92 out of 100. However, the region saw a decline in stability scores due to an increase in disruptive protests and crime. In the United States, Honolulu, Hawaii, ranked highest at 23rd, while Atlanta, Georgia, moved up to 29th place. Los Angeles and New York were further down the list, at 58th and 70th, respectively.

North America achieved the highest average score for education, but infrastructure scores dropped in Canada due to a severe housing crisis. The report noted that rental property availability is at an all-time low in both Australia and Canada, and purchase prices have continued to rise despite increased interest rates. Vancouver, while remaining in the top 10, saw a slight decline, and Toronto, which was ninth last year, fell to 12th place. In the UK, London was ranked as the 45th most liveable city, reflecting its challenges in maintaining high liveability standards.

Asia saw significant improvements, with Hong Kong experiencing the largest score increase, jumping from 61st to 50th place due to better stability and healthcare scores. The UAE also showed considerable gains, with Abu Dhabi and Dubai climbing the list, alongside significant improvements in Saudi Arabian cities such as Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar.

Conversely, Israel’s Tel Aviv saw one of the steepest declines, falling 20 places to 112th, primarily due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. This highlights how regional conflicts and wars can severely impact the liveability of a city.

“Global liveability has risen fractionally over the past year, but risks to stability remain,” said Barsali Bhattacharyya, deputy industry director at EIU. The report attributes this to persistent high inflation, elevated interest rates, and other economic challenges leading to frequent protests worldwide.

At the bottom of the list, Damascus, Syria, remains the least liveable city, followed by Libya’s Tripoli, Algeria’s Algiers, and Nigeria’s Lagos. These cities have seen no improvement in their scores since last year, indicating ongoing severe challenges. The study also noted an increase in civil unrest and demonstrations globally, including campus protests across the US, suggesting that stresses on liveability are unlikely to diminish soon.

The EIU’s annual liveability report provides crucial insights into the factors that contribute to a city’s quality of life. Vienna’s continued dominance as the most liveable city underscores the importance of robust healthcare, stability, and infrastructure. Meanwhile, the changes in rankings reflect the dynamic nature of global cities and the various challenges they face. As regions grapple with economic and social issues, the pursuit of liveability remains a complex and evolving goal.

As reported by the CNN in their recent article