Geneva is one of the ten most livable cities in the world.Image: Shutterstock
Ranking
July 7, 2026, 4:53 p.mJuly 7, 2026, 4:53 p.m
Copenhagen remains the most livable city in the world: in the annual ranking of the British Economist group, the Danish capital has taken the top spot for the second time in a row. The bike-friendly metropolis achieved the highest score of 100 points in three categories – stability, education and infrastructure. This means that Copenhagen is once again asserting itself against numerous international competitors.
As in the previous year, the Austrian capital Vienna and Melbourne in Australia follow in second and third place. Behind them are Sydney, Zurich, Geneva and Osaka. The two Swiss cities in the top 10 lost points to the absolute leaders, especially in the infrastructure and culture and environment categories.
Also among the ten most livable cities in the world are Adelaide, Vancouver and Tokyo. What is striking is that Tokyo is the only megacity to make it into the top 10. Large metropolises often lose points in the ranking due to traffic problems, high population density or crime.
While Western Europe is once again considered the most livable region in the world, the states on the Persian Gulf recorded the greatest setbacks this year. After the military clashes between Iran and Israel, the security situation in several cities deteriorated significantly. Muscat in Oman is particularly hard hit, losing 14 places in the ranking. Doha in Qatar and Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates also slipped due to worsening stability ratings.
Chinese cities, on the other hand, are among the biggest winners. Thanks to years of investment in healthcare, all Chinese cities improved their rankings. According to the EIU, among other things, access to medical care was expanded and the goal was for health facilities to be accessible to all residents within a 15-minute walk. However, factors such as environmental problems and government surveillance have so far prevented better rankings.
Damascus remains at the bottom of the ranking
At the bottom of the ranking, however, little has changed. Damascus in Syria, which has occupied last place since 2013, remains at the bottom again. Also new among the ten worst-rated cities is the Iranian capital Tehran, whose rating fell further as a result of the Iran War. According to the EIU, the cities at the bottom of the rankings are almost without exception affected by war, poverty or both – the stability category in particular is particularly poor there.
The so-called Global Liveability Index 2026 is created by the research and analysis department of the Economist Group called EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit). The index evaluates 173 cities around the world based on 30 indicators in various categories, including healthcare, culture and environment. (pre/sda)