Vienna Tops Liveability Index as Western Cities Face Decline
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has once again named Vienna, Austria, as the world's "most livable city," but the latest report underlines shifting dynamics in urban liveability across Europe, North America, and Asia.
For the third consecutive year, Vienna has secured the top spot, reinforcing its reputation for exceptional quality of life. However, the EIU's findings reveal concerning trends in Western Europe and North America, where regional declines are increasingly evident.
The EIU's comprehensive assessment shows that while global cities are generally improving, Western Europe and North America are exceptions. The report highlights that "an increasing incidence of protests in Europe around causes ranging from agriculture to immigration policies has damaged the stability scores of cities in the region."
Civil unrest is a significant factor, with French farmers obstructing motorways into Paris and widespread protests against immigration policies. Additionally, riots in New Caledonia and campus protests across the United States, occurring after the survey period, suggest further challenges for next year's index.
The ongoing cost-of-living crisis has also taken a toll. Despite declining inflation in many countries, high housing costs continue to negatively impact infrastructure scores, particularly in Australia and Canada. While urban living quality is at its highest in over a decade, the benefits are not evenly distributed.
The report further elaborates on the decline in other Western countries, emphasizing that "the cost-of-living crisis drags on in many countries, with housing costs emerging as one of the stickiest elements of inflation."
In contrast, cities in the East are on the rise. Hong Kong and Singapore have shown the greatest improvements in residents' quality of life. Despite challenges like climate change and severe inflation, the Middle East and North Africa have seen improvements since last year, mirrored by sub-Saharan Africa.
Vienna achieved perfect scores in four of the index's five categories, with its 93.5 score in culture and environment slightly impacted by a lack of major sporting events. The EIU's expansive survey evaluates 173 cities annually based on five crucial dimensions: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.
Joining Vienna in the top five are three other European cities: Copenhagen, Zurich, and Geneva, all recognized for their smaller populations, lower crime rates, and efficient public transport systems. The top ten also includes two Canadian cities, Calgary and Vancouver, alongside four Asia-Pacific cities: Melbourne, Sydney, Osaka, and Auckland.
At the other end of the spectrum, war-torn Damascus remains entrenched at the bottom of the table, maintaining its position as the least livable city since 2013, with a score of just 30.7 in 2024. The Syrian capital's stability score of 20 ties with Karachi for the lowest among all surveyed cities. Kyiv also struggles in this category, placing it in the bottom ten for the second consecutive year.
Tel Aviv faces similar challenges, with significant drops in infrastructure and culture and environment scores by 7.2 and 6.7 points respectively, due to the conflict in Gaza. This resulted in Tel Aviv plummeting 20 places down the rankings to 112th, marking the most dramatic shift in this year’s survey.
After a sharp drop and subsequent rebound during the COVID years, the global average livability score saw a marginal increase of just 0.06 points over the past year, a stark contrast to the 2.84-point rise in the 12 months leading up to June 2023.