Copenhagen Tops Global Liveability Index; Tel Aviv Ranks 111th

The Economist Intelligence Unit's annual Global Liveability Index has named Copenhagen the best city to live in worldwide. The ranking evaluates 173 cities based on 30 indicators grouped into five categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. These categories assess factors such as crime and terrorism, quality and availability of healthcare, environmental quality and leisure, education standards, and transportation and housing infrastructure.

Copenhagen retained its top position from the previous year, achieving perfect scores in stability, education, and infrastructure. Laura Amira Kassem, a resident of Copenhagen for eight years, described the city as highly livable, highlighting its bike-friendly culture and quality of life. Vienna and Melbourne followed in second and third place, with Sydney and Zurich completing the top five, reflecting European and Australian dominance in the ranking.

Tel Aviv ranked 111th out of 173 cities, improving by two places compared to last year. However, this rise was attributed not to improvements within Tel Aviv but to declines in other cities' scores. Several Middle Eastern cities, including Muscat, Kuwait City, Amman, Manama, and Doha, experienced significant drops due to decreased stability linked to regional conflicts, with Muscat falling 14 places to 123rd.

Asian cities, particularly in China, saw notable improvements driven by consistent investments in healthcare. New York City rose three places to 66th, benefiting from increased stability scores, while Lisbon climbed six places due to healthcare enhancements. At the bottom of the list, Damascus ranked last at 173rd, with very low scores in education and infrastructure, and Kyiv was the lowest-ranked European city at 166th.

The index aims to provide a benchmark for urban vitality and resilience, illustrating how comfortable it is to live in these cities based on comprehensive quality-of-life measures.