Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, has officially been named the most liveable city in the world for 2025, according to the latest global survey released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The city claimed the top spot, overtaking Vienna, which had held the position for the past three consecutive years.
Vienna now shares second place with Switzerland’s Zurich, while Melbourne (Australia) and Geneva (Switzerland) rounded out the top five.
The annual report evaluates 173 cities worldwide across five key categories: healthcare, education, stability, infrastructure, and environment. Copenhagen scored exceptionally well across all metrics, helping it surpass long-time leader Vienna.
Australia maintained a strong presence in the top 10 with Sydney climbing from joint seventh to sixth, and Adelaide placing ninth. Meanwhile, Auckland (New Zealand) and Osaka (Japan) tied for seventh. Vancouver (Canada) secured the tenth spot.
Notably, Canada’s Calgary, which held fifth place in 2024, dropped significantly to 18th due to declining healthcare scores. Toronto also fell in the rankings from 12th to 16th, as the country struggles with staff shortages and long medical waiting times.
“This drop reflects issues like long waiting periods for checkups and a shortage of medical personnel,” said Barsali Bhattacharyya, Deputy Industry Director at EIU, in an interview with CNN Travel. She noted that similar healthcare and housing challenges are affecting cities globally. “To be clear, they still remain among the most liveable cities overall,” she added.
While some cities slipped in rankings, others made notable progress. Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia rose 13 places, moving from 148th to 135th, and Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, improved by 10 spots to reach 132nd, thanks largely to better stability ratings.
At the bottom of the list, Damascus, Syria, remains the least liveable city, followed by Tripoli (Libya), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Karachi (Pakistan), and Algiers (Algeria); all of which continue to grapple with deep-rooted instability and infrastructure issues.
The EIU’s annual Global Liveability Index serves as a key benchmark for assessing urban quality of life around the world.
