Copenhagen, Denmark, has once again been crowned the world's most liveable city, marking its second consecutive year at the top of the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) Global Liveability Index 2026. The Danish capital earned perfect scores in stability, infrastructure, and education, solidifying its reputation for high-quality public services and a vibrant culture.
Global Liveability Index 2026: Top Performers
The EIU's annual assessment evaluates 173 cities worldwide based on five key factors: stability, healthcare, education, infrastructure, and culture and environment. Following Copenhagen, Vienna, Austria, secured the second spot, with Melbourne, Australia, moving up to third. Australia demonstrated a strong presence in the top 10, with Sydney ranking fourth and Adelaide eighth.
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Vienna, Austria
- Melbourne, Australia
- Sydney, Australia
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Osaka, Japan
- Adelaide, Australia
- Vancouver, Canada
- Tokyo, Japan
Regional Shifts and Notable Changes
While Western Europe maintained its lead as the highest-scoring region overall, the index revealed significant shifts across other parts of the globe. The EIU noted a decline in stability scores for several Gulf cities, attributing this to the effects of the war with Iran. Muscat, for instance, fell 14 places to 123rd, and Kuwait City dropped 12 places to 105th.
Conversely, Asia saw an average increase in liveability scores, primarily driven by improvements in healthcare systems. Chinese cities, including Fuzhou, which climbed seven places to 93rd, benefited from enhanced funding schemes and investments in healthcare provision. The United Kingdom also showed recovery after previous declines, with Manchester becoming its highest-ranked city at 52nd.
US Cities and Global Bottom Rankings
In the United States, New York improved its stability score, rising three places to 66th. Honolulu, despite a slight drop, remained the highest-ranked US city at 25th. Vancouver was the sole North American representative in the global top 10. At the other end of the spectrum, Damascus continued to be the world's least liveable city, with Tehran and Kyiv also experiencing significant drops in their rankings following regional conflicts.