The Danish capital, Copenhagen, has been ranked the world’s most liveable city for 2026, retaining its top spot for the second year in a row in the annual index published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Copenhagen overtook Vienna, Austria, which had held the top spot for three years in a row before dropping to second place last year. The EIU report assessed 173 cities around the world based on five key categories: stability, education, healthcare, infrastructure and culture and the environment. Copenhagen scored maximum points in three categories – stability, infrastructure and education, confirming its position as one of the cities with the highest quality of life in the world.
According to the EIU, the Danish capital’s continued success is due to a combination of excellent infrastructure, quality public services, high safety and a rich cultural offering. Australia and Switzerland continue to dominate the rankings with two cities each in the top ten. In the United States, New York climbed three places to 66th place. The improvement was attributed to a decrease in crime and a lower perception of the risk of terrorist attacks.
However, Honolulu remains the best-ranked American city, coming in at 25th place, despite a drop of two places compared to last year. In North America, only Vancouver, Canada, managed to enter the top ten most liveable cities in the world. Meanwhile, Asia recorded notable improvements, especially in the healthcare sector. The average liveability score for Asian cities rose to 73.9 points. EIU experts highlighted that improvements in China’s healthcare system and additional investments in medical care positively influenced the ranking of Chinese cities. The report also highlights that conflicts and insecurity continue to negatively affect the quality of life in some Regions.
The fallout from tensions and war with Iran reflected lower stability scores in several cities in the Persian Gulf. Oman’s capital, Muscat, suffered the biggest drop, losing 14 places, while Kuwait City fell 12 places. At the bottom of the list remains Damascus, Syria, which continues to be considered the least liveable city in the world. Tehran, Iran, and Kiev, Ukraine, also saw their rankings drop due to security and conflict.
According to the EIU, the global average liveability score remained almost unchanged from last year, as improvements in health in Asia were offset by declining stability in the Middle East. The report finds that cities that invest in security, infrastructure, health and education continue to offer the highest standards of living for their residents. Copenhagen, Denmark, ranked first, followed by Vienna, Austria, in second place. Melbourne, Australia, ranked third, while Sydney, Australia, ranked fourth. Zurich, Switzerland, ranked fifth, followed by Geneva, Switzerland, ranked sixth. Osaka, Japan, ranked seventh, Adelaide, Australia, ranked eighth, Vancouver, Canada, ranked ninth, while Tokyo, Japan, rounded out the list in tenth place.