Are German capitals also included?
Finding the best cities to live in around the world is an exciting task. Which is implemented every year by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in the Global Liveability Index. The 2023 index includes an impressive 172 cities and evaluates them based on various criteria such as stability, health, culture, education and infrastructure. This year’s results provide interesting insights into quality of life in different regions of the world.
Vienna, Austria: a city that emphasizes its distinction
The city that has once again emerged as the best city in the world to live in is charming Vienna in Austria. This distinction is not coincidental, but is based on an unbeatable combination of stability, excellent infrastructure, strong educational and health services, and an abundance of culture and entertainment. Vienna has continuously proven its qualities in recent years and has once again achieved first place.
Copenhagen, Denmark: Consistency in quality of life
In second place, and for the second time in a row, is the vibrant city of Copenhagen in Denmark. Copenhagen shares many of Vienna’s distinctive characteristics, including stability, infrastructure, and a thriving cultural scene. The continued presence in senior positions underscores the quality of life this city provides to its residents.
Australia on the rise: Melbourne and Sydney
Australia also shows a strong presence in the top ranks, with Melbourne and Sydney occupying third and fourth places. Australian cities have performed well during the pandemic and improved their rankings, especially in the health category. Dealing with Covid waves has led to the strengthening of their health systems, which the Economist Intelligence Unit experts highlighted positively in their report.
Diversity of the top 10: A look at Vancouver, Zurich, Geneva and Osaka
The rest of the top 10 cities consist of a diverse mix of locations around the world. Three Canadian cities – Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto – demonstrated their appeal with strong rankings. Switzerland is represented by Zurich and Geneva, which are not only famous for their stunning natural beauty, but they are also known for their high quality of life. The Japanese city of Osaka ranks among the top ten, confirming Japan’s reputation as a country with livable cities.
Where is Germany?
German cities rank 17th and 18th. Seventeenth place goes to Frankfurt am Main and eighteenth place He goes to Berlin. These are the only two German cities in the rankings.
Challenges in the United States
What’s interesting is that the United States is not in the top 20 countries this year. A surprising development suggests that some American cities have struggled to compete with other global capitals in terms of quality of life. Closer analysis shows that Los Angeles and San Diego are seeing the largest declines, with both cities down 17 points from last year.
Economist Intelligence Unit experts confirm that although these cities have not witnessed radical declines in their rankings, they have not achieved the same progress compared to other cities, especially in Asia. This resulted in them being overtaken in the world rankings. this This trend could be due to a variety of factors, including potential long-term challenges related to infrastructure, education, and health.
Honolulu is one of the top US cities
The best city to live in the United States, despite the country’s overall decline in the rankings, is Honolulu. Hawaii’s capital ranked 25th overall and was particularly praised for its outstanding educational services and high level of stability. Upasana Dutt, director of EIU’s Global Livability Index, emphasizes that Honolulu performs particularly well in these categories compared to other U.S. cities. However, they indicate that accessibility of cultural and environmental aspects was rated as somewhat lower.
Other mid-sized cities dominate the list of the best cities in the USA. Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Seattle and Washington, D.C. rounded out the top five. An interesting note is that the top-ranked US cities are not necessarily the largest in terms of population. This phenomenon occurs often When medium-sized cities in economically prosperous countries score better in surveys.
Global Changes: Asia and the Pacific on the Rise
A look at the global changes in rankings reveals that cities in the Asia-Pacific region made the most noise this year. Eight of the ten cities with the greatest growth come from this region. Wellington, New Zealand is particularly popular, rising 35 places to 23rd. Auckland, New Zealand, also saw a strong rise of 25 places to 10th. The Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, also made a notable jump of 20 places to rank 129. The main reason for this positive development is the return to normal life after the challenges of the pandemic.
Challenges in Western Europe: Disincentive to quality of life
In contrast, cities in Western Europe faced some challenges in the 2023 Global Liveability Index. A rise in labor strikes and civil unrest affected stability indicators, leading to a lower rating. In addition, they were able to advance