The world’s most livable city was revealed this week, and for the first time in three years, it’s not Vienna, Austria.
This year’s most livable city award goes to Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Scandinavian city received the highest rank from The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index report because it received “perfect” scores for stability, education and infrastructure.
It scored an astounding 98 out of 100, according to the report’s index.
Vienna tied for second place alongside Zurich, Switzerland.
Here are the top 10 from the ranking of 173 countries:
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Vienna, Austria
- Zurich, Switzerland (tied for second place)
- Melbourne, Australia
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Sydney, Australia
- Osaka, Japan
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Adelaide, Australia
- Vancouver, Canada
Honolulu, Hawaii, was the highest-ranked city for the U.S., coming in at No. 23, followed by Atlanta at No. 29.
“Smaller cities tend to perform well on the index due to lower crime levels and fewer terrorism threats. New York City ranked 69th, for example,” according to The Hill.
What led to declining scores for some countries?
While Austria still scored high on the charts, its score in stability dropped significantly, attributing significant recent incidents, such as the bomb threat at a Taylor Swift concert last summer, which led to the concert getting canceled, CNN reported.
“Global liveability has remained flat over the past year, and as in 2024, scores for stability have declined at a global level,” Barsali Bhattacharyya, deputy industry director at EIU, said in a statement, per CNN.