Copenhagen takes first place in the index of the best cities to live in, ahead of Vienna, which ranked second. Melbourne, Geneva and Sydney take third, fourth and fifth places, the Austrian radio and television reported, BTA reported.
The best city to live in is determined by the criteria of security, education and infrastructure. Copenhagen receives the maximum score of 100 points in all categories. Western Europe remains the best region to live in the world with an average score of 91.7 points.
Asia reports the largest rise in the ranking with an increase of 0.3 points to 73.9. According to the “Economist“ this is mainly due to improvements in healthcare in Chinese cities. All 19 Chinese cities included in the study improved their results in this category. New York climbed three places to 66th place and recorded one of the largest increases in the index, with 1.2 points. The Economist attributes this to a decrease in crime and a lower risk of terrorist attacks.
On the other hand, the ranking was negatively affected by the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East. According to the Economist, the war in Iran has led to a decline in stability indicators in the region. Cities in the Middle East and North Africa lost an average of more than three places in the ranking. Muscat fell 14 places to 123rd place, and Kuwait City fell 12 places to 105th.
At the bottom of the ranking are cities affected by war or poverty. Damascus remains in last place, although healthcare has improved since the change of power in Syria in late 2024. Due to the war, Tehran fell to 164th place and is among the ten worst-rated cities. Kiev fell to 166th place.
For several years, Vienna topped the ranking of the best cities to live in. In 2025, the Austrian capital was replaced by the Danish capital Copenhagen. The annual Global Liveability Index is prepared by the EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit) - the research and analytical unit of the publishing group “Economist“/Economist Group/. The study surveys expatriates - people who live outside their homeland.