Lucas NeoThe Economist Intelligence Unit just released its 2019 Global Liveability Index Report, which compares the living conditions of every single country in the world.
Vienna comes up top for 2nd year in a row
Image Credit: daniel plan
With an almost perfect score of 99.1 out of 100, the world’s most liveable city in 2019 is Vienna, Austria. Vienna beat out its most popular contender – Melbourne – taking the first place for the second consecutive year. With a good economy, stable political system, spectacular countryside and vibrant cultural scene, Vienna edges out over its competitors as the ideal city to live in.
Image Credit: (L) Weyne Yew, (R) Benjamin Sow
As expected, some of the top cities include Melbourne (2nd) and Sydney (3rd), which are famous for their stunning ocean views and coffee culture. Along with Adelaide (10th), these three cities cement Australia’s position as one of the top countries where people want to move to. Some reasons include a stable economy, good work-life balance and temperate weather across the year.
Image Credit (L to R): Dyson Nordwick Chan, Lee Robinson, mwangi gatheca
Another contender for the most liveable country would be Canada, with three of its cities in the top 10: Calgary (5th), Vancouver (6th) and Toronto (7th). When people think of Canada, they think of stunning mountain vistas that can be just an hour away from the cities. Just like its southern counterpart, Canada seems to have a stable economy and good work-life balance, but the scenery is what draws most people to maple country.
Here are the top 10 most liveable cities in the world, according to The Global Liveability Index 2019:
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- Vienna, Austria
- Melbourne, Australia
- Sydney, Australia
- Osaka, Japan
- Calgary, Canada
- Vancouver, Canada
- Toronto, Canada (tied)
- Tokyo, Japan (tied)
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Adelaide, Australia
What exactly is ‘liveability’, anyway?
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), “the concept of liveability is simple: it assesses which locations around the world provide the best or the worst living conditions”.
For one, it’s very difficult to determine living conditions using any scale. However, the EIU tries to quantify liveability using 30 factors that fall into these 5 categories: stability, healthcare, culture & environment, education, and infrastructure.
One point to note is that the list is non-exhaustive. If good food was a factor of liveability, Thailand might be at the top with its delicious and affordable street food. People also have to consider their status if they are planning to move into one of the many liveable cities in the world, as access to healthcare and education might differ for citizens and permanent residents.
Time to find a new place to live?
Even as some countries are ranked as the top few cities to live in the world, it’s not time to pack your bags and move to these cities immediately. Emigration is a long and tiring process: you have to consider the visa application, settling down in a foreign land, and finding a stable job that can support you. If you’re moving to a country where English is not the first language, you have the extra difficulty of learning a new language from scratch.
While it may be difficult for some to move abroad permanently, a short stay in each of these cities is enough to convince you why they should be one of the world’s most liveable cities. Travelling is just living in a city temporarily, so you do get exposed to the political stability and environmental efforts of the city too.
Which city would you move to if you have the choice?
