The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has released its Global Liveability Index 2024, ranking cities across the globe based on various factors such as stability, healthcare, culture, environment, education, and infrastructure. For the third year in a row, Vienna, Austria has been named the world’s best city to live in, scoring perfect scores in four out of five categories. Western Europe remains the most liveable region, with Vienna, Copenhagen, and Zurich taking the top three spots globally.
The report highlights a positive trend in global liveability, with significant improvements in healthcare and education in developing nations offset by declining scores in some top-tier cities. Developing world cities have shown improvement in liveability standards, while cities in wealthy countries have seen a decline in scores. In the U.S., Honolulu remains the top-ranked city for the second consecutive year, with smaller cities like Pittsburgh, Boston, and Minneapolis outperforming larger metropolises like New York and Los Angeles.
In Europe, despite dominating the top 20 list, the region has recorded the largest decline due to deteriorating stability scores. Hong Kong has made the biggest leap in rankings globally, showing improvements in stability and healthcare facilities. The Middle East and North Africa region has seen mixed results, with conflicts affecting cities like Tel Aviv while Gulf cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi have improved their liveability scores.
In terms of the U.S., Honolulu remains the best city to live in, with cities like Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Seattle also ranking high on the list. Social unrest, racial inequalities, and weak gun-control laws are some of the structural problems affecting U.S. cities’ scores in the index. Overall, the report provides insights into the best cities to live in around the world and in the United States, highlighting factors such as stability, infrastructure, education, and healthcare.
