Vienna has once again been named the most liveable city in the world in the annual ranking by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). This marks the third consecutive year that Vienna has topped the list of 173 cities assessed for factors such as healthcare, culture and environment, stability, infrastructure, and education.

The EIU, a sister organization to The Economist, awarded Vienna perfect scores in four out of five categories, with slightly lower marks in culture and environment due to a perceived lack of major sporting events. Following Vienna, Copenhagen in Denmark maintained its second-place position, while Zurich in Switzerland moved up to third from sixth place.

Melbourne, Australia dropped to fourth place from third, sharing fifth place with Calgary, Canada, and Geneva, Switzerland. Vancouver, Canada, and Sydney, Australia tied for seventh, while Osaka, Japan, and Auckland, New Zealand, jointly occupied the ninth spot.

Western Europe performed strongly overall, with 30 cities averaging a high score of 92 out of 100. However, the region saw a decline in stability scores attributed to increased disruptive protests and crime.

Honolulu, Hawaii, ranked 23rd, was the highest-ranking U.S. city, with Atlanta, Georgia, rising to 29th place. Los Angeles was placed 58th, and New York City came in at 70th.

North America excelled in education but faced challenges in infrastructure, particularly in Canada due to a severe housing crisis. Vancouver remained in the top 10 despite setbacks, while Toronto dropped out to 12th place.

London, UK, ranked 45th overall. Hong Kong saw a significant improvement, moving from 61st to 50th place, driven by better stability and healthcare scores. UAE cities, including Abu Dhabi and Dubai, also saw notable score increases, as did cities in Saudi Arabia.

Conversely, Tel Aviv, Israel, experienced a sharp decline, falling 20 places to 112th due to regional conflicts. The study noted global liveability had marginally improved over the past year but highlighted ongoing risks to stability, such as inflation, high interest rates, and widespread protests.

At the bottom of the list, Damascus, Syria, remained the least liveable city, with Tripoli (Libya), Algiers (Algeria), and Lagos (Nigeria) just above, all showing no improvement since the previous year.

The Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Liveability Index for 2024 underscores Vienna's consistent appeal as a highly liveable city, while also spotlighting global trends and challenges impacting urban quality of life worldwide.