In 2026, Copenhagen, Denmark, once again topped the annual Global Liveability Index—a ranking originally started when the city was a Viking fishing village—compiled by the esteemed Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) research center. The Danish capital outpaced Vienna and Melbourne, earning top marks for education, infrastructure, and stability.
According to the publication Positive News, Copenhagen’s success is largely due to its human-centered approach to urban planning, where the needs of residents are made the top priority.
How was the ranking compiled?
This year’s EIU index evaluated 173 cities across the globe. The liveability level was calculated based on five key categories:
1. Stability (crime rates, terror threats, and social conflicts).
2. Healthcare (accessibility and quality of medical care).
3. Culture and Environment (climate, pollution levels, and access to sports, culture, and religion).
4. Education (accessibility and quality of schools).
5. Infrastructure (quality of roads, public transport, housing, water, and energy supply).
Top 10 Most Livable Cities in 2026
The rankings were traditionally led by cities in Europe, Australia, and Asia. Here are the top ten:
1. Copenhagen, Denmark
2. Vienna, Austria
3. Melbourne, Australia
4. Sydney, Australia
5. Zurich, Switzerland
6. Geneva, Switzerland
7. Osaka, Japan
8. Adelaide, Australia
9. Vancouver, Canada
10. Tokyo, Japan
The Least Livable Cities, According to EIU Data.
1. Damascus, Syria
2. Tripoli, Libya
3. Dhaka, Bangladesh
4. Karachi, Pakistan
5. Algiers, Algeria
6. Lagos, Nigeria
7. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
8. Kyiv, Ukraine
9. Harare, Zimbabwe
10. Tehran, Iran
Biggest Climbers in the Rankings
1. Fuzhou, China (93rd place)
2. Lisbon, Portugal (54)
3. Wuxi, China (106)
4. Nanjing, China (98)
5. Zhuhai, China (105)
6. Qingdao, China (114)
7. Tokyo, Japan (10)
8. New York, USA (66)
9. Shenyang, China (84)
10. Dalian, China (101)
Key Trends of the Year: The Rise of Asia and a Focus on Healthcare
EIU analysts highlighted several important global trends that defined the 2026 rankings:
Asia Gains Ground While Western Europe Stagnates
Western Europe remains the region with the highest overall liveability level. However, the report's authors note that the average scores for European cities have remained virtually unchanged this year.
At the same time, Asian cities are demonstrating steady growth. For the first time in many years, the top twenty includes nine Asian cities and only seven from Europe.
Healthcare Investments Lift Chinese Cities
Healthcare has become the dominant theme of the current index. Chinese cities showed a significant increase in their scores within the healthcare category thanks to years of state investment in the field. The leader in performance improvement was the industrial city of Fuzhou.
Nevertheless, experts point to a ceiling for Chinese metropolises: they still have low scores in the culture and environment categories due to existing restrictions on political freedoms, which prevents them from rising higher in the overall ranking.
The New York Renaissance
Another notable occurrence was the significant rise in New York’s (USA) ranking. The city showed one of the largest improvements among all 173 participants. This was made possible by a multi-year reduction in crime rates and a decrease in terrorism risks. Despite this positive momentum, New York remains only third from the bottom among American cities, trailing Detroit and Lexington.
Conclusion
The 2026 rankings clearly demonstrate that a comfortable urban environment is no longer the exclusive privilege of Western capitals. Copenhagen’s success proves that prioritizing resident needs when planning urban spaces delivers outstanding results. At the same time, the global shift toward healthcare and the rapid rise of Asian megacities suggest that the concept of the ideal city continues to evolve.
