Amidst a fast-changing global landscape, the Danish capital of Copenhagen has secured the No. 1 spot on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) annual Global Liveability Index for the second consecutive year. Released on Tuesday, the 2026 report reveals that Copenhagen once again outshone Austria’s Vienna, which had previously enjoyed a three-year stint at the top before being relegated to second place.
The EIU, a sister organization to The Economist magazine, evaluated 173 cities across the globe based on more than 30 qualitative and quantitative factors. These metrics are grouped into five broader categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.
Copenhagen achieved “perfect” scores of 100 in stability, infrastructure, and education. According to an EIU spokesperson, the city’s enduring dominance is driven by a “winning combination of excellent scores in stability and infrastructure, great culture and environment, and high quality of public services.”
Global Shifts: Asia Rises, Middle East Declines
The global average liveability score remained stable compared to last year, as steep declines in stability across the Middle East were perfectly offset by significant healthcare improvements in Asia.
- The Asian Surge: Thanks to heavy state funding, upgraded healthcare provision, and the expansion of national long-term care insurance systems, scores across Chinese cities saw broad upgrades. Fuzhou, for instance, climbed seven places to 93rd. As a result of these regional improvements, Asia now claims nine cities in the global top 20, compared to Europe’s seven. Osaka (7th) and Tokyo (10th) both held onto their spots in the top 10.
- Geopolitical Fallout in the Gulf: The regional repercussions of the war involving Iran heavily impacted stability scores in the Middle East. Oman’s capital, Muscat, plummeted 14 places to 123rd, while Kuwait City dropped 12 spots to 105th. Severe downgrades saw Tehran fall to 164th place and Ukraine’s Kyiv drop to 166th. Damascus, Syria, remains the world’s least liveable city.
- Western Europe & North America: While Western Europe remains the highest-scoring region overall, its average score dipped slightly compared to 2025. In the UK, major cities bounced back following a turbulent prior year marked by civil unrest; Manchester led the nation in 52nd place, outperforming London (54th) and Edinburgh (64th).
- US Performances: In the United States, New York City climbed three places to 66th, driven by a notable drop in crime rates and a lower perceived risk of security threats. However, Honolulu remains the highest-ranked American city overall, holding 25th place despite dropping two slots. Vancouver (9th) was the sole North American city to crack the global top 10.
EIU Top 10 Most Liveable Cities
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Vienna, Austria
- Melbourne, Australia
- Sydney, Australia
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Osaka, Japan
- Adelaide, Australia
- Vancouver, Canada
- Tokyo, Japan
