Overview
- The Economist Intelligence Unit published the 2026 Global Liveability Index assessing 173 cities with 30 indicators across five categories to measure how comfortably people can live in each city.
- Copenhagen ranks first for a second straight year after scoring perfect marks in stability, education and infrastructure, reflecting strong public services and urban planning.
- The top ten is concentrated in Australia, Switzerland and Japan, with Vienna, Melbourne, Sydney, Zurich, Geneva, Osaka, Adelaide, Vancouver and Tokyo all placing highly.
- Several Middle Eastern cities fell sharply because of geopolitical tensions, with Tehran at 164th, Muscat down 14 places to 123rd and Kuwait City down 12 places to 105th, while Karachi ranked 170th near the bottom alongside Dhaka, Tripoli and Damascus.
- The index weights stability and culture/environment at 25% each, healthcare and infrastructure at 20% each, and education at 10%, a formula that shows dependable public services and safety drive liveability and that shifts in those areas can affect migration, investment and city policy choices.