For the third consecutive year, Vienna has been named the most liveable city in the world, according to The Economist’s annual Global Liveability Index. This marks the ninth time in 11 years that Vienna has topped the list, cementing its reputation as a city that exemplifies quality living.
Why Vienna is the Best
Vienna's consistent high performance in stability, culture, environment, education, healthcare, and infrastructure has ensured its top position. Despite not achieving a perfect score in culture and environment, Vienna's citizens have mastered the art of living well, making it the epitome of a liveable city.
The Rankings and Methodology
The Global Liveability Index ranks 173 cities based on scores in five categories: stability, culture and environment, education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Each city is scored out of 100 across these categories, with Vienna achieving near-perfect scores in four out of five.
The average score across all cities this year rose to 76.1 out of 100, indicating improvements in education and healthcare, but instability due to global events has impacted the overall scores.
Top 10 Liveable Cities in 2024
1. Vienna, Austria
Perfect scores in four categories
Marked down slightly in culture and environment
2. Copenhagen, Denmark
Retains second place for the third year
Perfect scores in stability, education, and infrastructure
3. Zurich, Switzerland
Jumped from sixth place last year
Perfect scores in healthcare and education
4. Melbourne, Australia
Slipped one place due to housing issues
High scores in healthcare and education
5. Geneva, Switzerland
Improved from joint seventh to fifth
Slightly marked down on cultural offerings
5. Calgary, Canada
Improved its position by two places
One of four cities with a perfect stability score
7. Sydney, Australia
Dropped three places due to housing shortages
High scores across all categories
7. Vancouver, Canada
Held its spot in the top 10 despite slipping two places
Consistently high scores in all categories
9. Osaka, Japan
Only Asian city in the top 10
Perfect scores in stability, healthcare, and education
9. Auckland, New Zealand
Maintained its position with high scores
Perfect score in education
Western Europe's Dominance
Western European cities have shown remarkable consistency, with three cities in the top three and four in the top ten. Despite facing some instability, this region remains highly liveable, with Vienna, Copenhagen, and Zurich leading the way.
Challenges and Improvements
Global instability and the cost of living have heavily influenced this year's rankings. Protests and economic issues have caused some cities, particularly in Germany and Ireland, to drop in rankings. However, Eastern Europe has shown significant improvement, with cities like Budapest climbing the ranks due to better scores in education and healthcare.
Vienna's repeated success in the Global Liveability Index highlights its exceptional living conditions. As cities around the world strive to improve, Vienna sets a benchmark for stability, quality healthcare, excellent education, and robust infrastructure. As global challenges continue to affect liveability, Vienna’s resilience and quality of life offer a model for other cities aiming to enhance their livability.
For more details on how other cities fared and the complete rankings, visit The Economist’s Global Liveability Index 2024 report.
Source: Euronews
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