Where can you find the most livable city in the world in 2023? According to the recently published by Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index, it’s in Vienna, Austria. The capital city officially hangs on to its number one spot, a ranking it has enjoyed for eight of the last 10 instances of the semi-annual survey. Copenhagen, Denmark was once again honored with the title of runner-up.
Per the report, “the Austrian capital slipped down our rankings in 2021, when its famous museums and restaurants faced restrictions to contain the pandemic, but this was a rare slip-up. The city continues to offer an unsurpassed combination of stability, good infrastructure, strong education, and health care services, and plenty of culture and entertainment.” The only major setback for Vienna that slightly impacts livability? No major sporting events.
Top 10 Most Livable Cities in 2023
- Vienna, Austria
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Melbourne, Australia
- Sydney, Australia
- Vancouver, Canada
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Calgary, Canada
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Toronto, Canada
- Osaka, Japan & Auckland, New Zealand
More Highlights from the 2023 Livability Index
Where were the biggest gains seen? The Asia-Pacific region saw plenty of growth in this year’s index. Wellington, New Zealand, flew up 35 places to the #23 spot, and Auckland shot up 25 spots to share the #10 rank. Additionally, Perth, Australia, and Bucharest, Romania, both soared 21 spots to 12th and 99th, respectively. Hanoi, Vietnam also saw a marked leap in its livability score, up 20 spots to 129th.
Did any cities perform worse compared to the previous survey? The U.K.’s Edinburgh sank 23 spots to 58th place and Sweden’s capital of Stockholm went down 22 spots to 43rd. Two cities in the United States also fell significantly: Los Angeles and San Diego slipped to 57th and 61st, respectively. Both Manchester, England, and the Netherlands’ Rotterdam fell 16 spots to tie at 44th.
How the Analysis Works
To determine the rankings, 173 cities were studied from February 13, 2022, to March 12, 2023. They were assigned a rating for 30 factors in five categories, including stability and healthcare; infrastructure; and culture and education. A team of expert analysts and contributors in each city also helped parse out cultural innuendos and other subtleties that can be tough to measure. COVID-19 pandemic impacts were also accounted for, such as restrictions on theater, concerts, sporting events, restaurants, and educational institutions.
“The removal of COVID-19-related restrictions has overall boded well for global livability in 2023,” said Upasana Dutt, the head of EIU’s Liveability Index, in a statement. “Education has emerged stronger with children returning to schools alongside a significantly reduced burden on hospitals and health care systems, with some notable improvements in cities across developing economies of Asia and the Middle East. As the world’s political and economic axis continues to shift eastwards, we expect the cities in these regions to move slowly up our liveability rankings.”
You can find the full results of the Global Liveability Index 2023 by clicking here.
