The best and worst cities to live in 2024

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has released its 2024 Global Liveability Index, ranking the most and least liveable cities worldwide.

Vienna, Austria, has been named the world’s most liveable city for the third consecutive year, achieving perfect scores in stability, healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

The 2024 ranking includes 173 cities evaluated on five key factors: healthcare, culture and environment, stability, infrastructure, and education. Vienna’s consistent high scores across these categories secure its top position.

Copenhagen, Denmark, retains second place, reflecting strong performance in healthcare and environmental quality. Zurich, Switzerland, climbs to third place, followed by Melbourne, Australia, in fourth.

Calgary, Canada, and Geneva, Switzerland, share the fifth spot. Vancouver, Canada, and Sydney, Australia, are tied for seventh place. Osaka, Japan, and Auckland, New Zealand, complete the top 10, sharing ninth place.

The report also identifies the least liveable cities for 2024. The bottom 10 cities, in descending order of liveability, are:

Caracas, VenezuelaKyiv, UkrainePort Moresby, Papua New GuineaHarare, ZimbabweDhaka, BangladeshKarachi, PakistanLagos, NigeriaAlgiers, AlgeriaTripoli, LibyaDamascus, Syria

The cities are assessed based on a comprehensive framework that examines stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. These factors provide a detailed understanding of the living conditions and the overall quality of life in each city.

The 2024 report indicates a slight overall improvement in global liveability, with notable advancements in healthcare and education in several developing nations. However, some top-tier cities have experienced a decline due to economic challenges, including high inflation and increased instability.