Best city to live in world 2022

For the third time in the past five years, Vienna has captured the top spot in the Global Liveability Index, according to the annual report published by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

The top ten rankings were dominated by western European cities, which make up half of those on the list.

Copenhagen follows Vienna in second place, with Zurich taking third place with Calgary in Canada.

Not far behind is Geneva in number six, followed by Frankfurt at seven. Amsterdam secured number nine.

The report says mid-sized cities in the wealthiest countries tended to fare exceptionally well in the survey.

But this year, the top ten cities are also those that have managed “to go back to normal” with fewer COVID-19 restrictions.

The pandemic has largely cast a long shadow over the EIU’s global liveability rankings for the last two years, with lockdowns and social distancing measures affecting all the report’s indicators.

But the world is getting back to normal, according to the data compiled in the report.

Thanks to the ongoing positive evolution of the pandemic, the global average liveability score has also recovered from 69.1 to 73.6 since last year.

This is pretty close to pre-pandemic levels which sat at 75.9.

Cities that were king in the rankings before the pandemic have also gained back their rightful place.

Vienna, which went all the way to 12th place in the 2021 rankings has rebounded to first place, the position it once held in 2018 and 2019.

How do you judge a city to be liveable?

The concept of liveability evaluates which cities around the world offer the best living conditions.

The report quantifies the challenges that might be presented to an individual in any given location and then compares the results between locations.

Every city is assigned a rating for relative comfort for over 30 factors across five general categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

Vienna, for example, scored a close to perfect score with 99.1 (out of 100) in its final index; 100.0 in stability, 100.0 in healthcare, 96.3 in culture and environment, 100.0 in education and 100.0 in infrastructure.

As for the bottom of the list, Damascus in Syria (172), Lagos in Nigeria (171) and Tripoli in Libya (170) continue to lag behind.

The report attributes their respective scores to social unrest, terrorism and conflict in each of the countries.

The EIU warned that although the pandemic is resolving itself, a new threat to liveability has emerged with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February this year.

There is no score for Kyiv in the 2022 report because the EIU’s correspondent had to abandon the survey when fighting broke out.

Moscow and St Petersburg have dropped 15 and 13 places in the ranking. Other cities affected by the war, such as Budapest and Warsaw, saw their stability scores decline.

An annual index of the world’s most liveable cities is dominated by Europe and Canada. Overall, it shows a world bouncing back from the pandemic

It is politically stable, with low crime, excellent healthcare, world-class cultural institutions and slick infrastructure — all of which helped Vienna top an annual index of the world’s most liveable cities. 

Rating cities for liveability is a tricky task, but one the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) sets itself each year. It assesses 172 cities across five categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.

The Danish capital, Copenhagen, came second in the latest index. Joint third was Zurich in Switzerland, and Calgary in Canada. The highest ranked UK city was Manchester — placed 28th — edging out London in 33rd. The US also failed to crack the top 25. Its best performing city was Atlanta in 26th spot. 

Of Vienna (main image), the report’s authors said: “Stability and good infrastructure are the city’s main charms for its inhabitants, supported by good healthcare and plenty of opportunities for culture and entertainment.” 

The Austrian capital, which has among the highest tax in Europe, has topped the ranking before. In a separate survey in 2020, it was ranked the world’s greenest city.  

After falling significantly during the worst days of the pandemic, the average liveability score is now almost back to pre-pandemic levels, the EIU reported. 

The Danish capital, famed for its relaxed lifestyle, was ranked second. Image: Nick Karvounis

“The picture that emerges is a broadly positive one. Amid the gradual — and ongoing — shift in the status of Covid-19 from pandemic to endemic, and a rise in global vaccination rates, the global average liveability score has rebounded,” it said. 

However, it added: “Although the pandemic has receded, a new threat to liveability emerged when Russia invaded Ukraine in the middle of our survey period. We were forced to abort our survey for Kyiv, excluding Ukraine’s capital from our rankings.” 

The EIU does not take cost of living into account when compiling the index, which of course impacts people’s ability to live comfortably. The organisation has a separate ranking for that: the annual Worldwide Cost of Living report. Its most recent edition identified Tel Aviv, Israel, to be the most expensive city in the world, followed by Paris and Singapore — none of which featured in the top 10 liveability ranking. 

The best cities to live in, according to the EIU

1. Vienna, Austria
2. Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Zurich, Switzerland
= Calgary, Canada
5. Vancouver, Canada
6. Geneva, Switzerland
7. Frankfurt, Germany
8. Toronto, Canada
9. Amsterdam, Netherlands
10. Osaka, Japan
= Melbourne, Australia 

Main image: Hundertwasser house in Vienna, Austria. Vladislav Zolotov/iStock

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