- According to the annual report from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Austria’s capital Vienna has retained its ranking as the world’s most liveable city.
- Melbourne is at second place — which had held the top ranking for seven years until losing it to Vienna in 2018
- Vienna and Melbourne is followed by Sydney, Osaka and Calgary.
- Each year, the EIU gives 140 cities scores out of 100 on a range of factors such as living standards, crime, transport infrastructure, access to education and healthcare, as well as political and economic stability.
- Vienna — known for its convenient public transport, refreshing Alpine tap water and varied cultural life — scored 99.1 points out of 100, as it did last year.
- New Delhi at 118th: For the first time, the index noted the effects of climate change on liveability, with New Delhi plunging in the rankings to 118th (a drop of six ranks) and Cario at 125th place due to “poor air quality, undesirable average temperatures and inadequate water provision.
- Europe claimed eight of the top 20 spots, with cities in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Canada making up the rest. .
- London and New York rank 48th and 58th respectively as they continue to struggle under the perceptions of the risk of crime and terrorism and overstretched infrastructure.
- Vienna also won top place in another survey, the annual quality of living index by human resources consulting firm Mercer, for the 10th time in a row in 2019.
- Worst cities: Asian cities overall have scored slightly below the global average while three Asian cities — Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea (135th), Pakistan’s Karachi (136th) and Bangladesh’s Dhaka (138th) — are among the ten least liveable globally.
