The Economist Intelligence Unit scores 173 cities each year on stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. These are the ten highest scorers in the 2026 Global Liveability Index, published in July 2026 — led by Copenhagen for the second year running.
Pictured: Copenhagen, #1 with a score of 98.0.
| Rank | City | Overall (/100) | Country | Region | Stability | Healthcare | Culture & Environment | Education | Infrastructure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copenhagen | 98.0 | Denmark | Europe | 100 | 96 | 95 | 100 | 100 |
| 2 | Vienna | 97.1 | Austria | Europe | 95 | 100 | 93.5 | 100 | 100 |
| 3 | Melbourne | 97.0 | Australia | Oceania | 95 | 100 | 96 | 100 | 96 |
| 4 | Sydney | 96.6 | Australia | Oceania | 95 | 100 | 94 | 100 | 96 |
| 5 | Zurich | 96.4 | Switzerland | Europe | 95 | 100 | 94 | 100 | 96 |
| 6 | Geneva | 96.1 | Switzerland | Europe | 95 | 100 | 92 | 100 | 96 |
| 7 | Osaka | 96.0 | Japan | Asia | 100 | 100 | 87 | 100 | 96 |
| 8 | Adelaide | 95.9 | Australia | Oceania | 95 | 100 | 91 | 100 | 96 |
| 9 | Vancouver | 95.8 | Canada | North America | 95 | 96 | 97 | 100 | 93 |
| 10 | Tokyo | 95.7 | Japan | Asia | 100 | 100 | 89 | 100 | 93 |
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View ranking →Copenhagen holds the top spot for a second straight year, after dethroning long-time leader Vienna in 2025. It earns perfect scores of 100 for stability, education and infrastructure, with 96 for healthcare and 95 for culture and environment — the only city in the 2026 index to clear 98 overall.[1][2]
Vienna topped the index five times between 2018 and 2024 before slipping to second in 2025, when its stability score fell from 100 to 95 after a foiled terror plot targeting Taylor Swift's Vienna concerts in the summer of 2024. It holds second place again in 2026, still scoring a perfect 100 for healthcare, education and infrastructure.[1][3]
The Victorian capital climbed one place to third, Australia's highest-ranked city, with perfect marks for healthcare and education and 96 for both infrastructure and culture and environment. Melbourne is a familiar face at the top of this index: it was ranked the world's most liveable city seven years in a row, from 2011 to 2017.[1][4]
Sydney matched Melbourne in every category except culture and environment, where it scored 94 to Melbourne's 96 — enough to place it fourth. Perfect healthcare and education scores, 96 for infrastructure and 95 for stability round out its card.[1][4]
Zurich fell three places from its shared second-place finish in 2025, but remains Switzerland's top city, with 100 for healthcare and education, 96 for infrastructure, 95 for stability and 94 for culture and environment.[1][5]
Geneva posts category scores identical to Zurich's except for culture and environment (92 versus 94), which leaves it one place behind its Swiss neighbour in sixth. Switzerland is one of only three countries with two or more cities in the top 10.[1][5]
Osaka holds seventh place for a second consecutive year, and is the highest-ranked Asian city in the index. It scores a perfect 100 for stability, healthcare and education and 96 for infrastructure; culture and environment (87) is the only category holding it back.[1][6]
South Australia's capital climbed from ninth to eighth, continuing a remarkable run: just three years earlier it sat in 30th place. It scores 100 for healthcare and education, 96 for infrastructure, 95 for stability and 91 for culture and environment, making it Australia's third top-10 city — more than any other country.[1][7]
Vancouver moved up one spot to ninth and is the only North American city in the top 10. Unusually for this list, its strongest non-perfect category is culture and environment (97); it scores 100 for education, 96 for healthcare, 95 for stability and 93 for infrastructure.[1][8]
Tokyo climbed three places from 13th to 10th, entering the top 10 for the first time and giving Japan two cities in the leading group. It shares Osaka's perfect stability, healthcare and education scores, with 93 for infrastructure and 89 for culture and environment. Just outside the top 10, Auckland — tied for seventh in 2025 — fell five places to 12th.[1][6]
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