This week, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released their Global Liveability Index rankings of the 10 best and 10 worst places to live in the world in 2022. The index scores 172 cities in 5 categories: culture, health care, education, infrastructure and entertainment.
Scandinavian cities dominate the Most Liveable Cities list thanks to the region’s stability and good infrastructure. According to this index, the residents of these cities are supported by good health care and many opportunities for culture and recreation. Year after year, cities in Austria and Switzerland tend to rank high on quality of life lists thanks to their well-developed social market economies.
In spite of 18 different countries are represented on these lists, you won’t find the US ranked in the top 10 on either. An EIU representative told CNBC Make It via email that Atlanta, Georgia was ranked as the most livable US city, at number 26 on the list, while Washington DC trailed at number 30.
The #1 best place to live in the world: Vienna, Austria
Overall rating: 95.1 / 100
The stability: 95
Health care: 83.3
Culture & environment: 98.6
Education: 100
The infrastructure: 100
Vienna, Austria, ranked First is the best place to live in the world. It held the position in 2018 and 2019 but slipped to 12th in 2021.
Here is the rest of the top 10 best places to live
- The capital city of Vienna, Austria
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Calgary, Canada
- Vancouver, Canada
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Frankfurt, Germany
- Toronto Canada
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Osaka, Japan and Melbourne, Australia (tie)
The worst place to live in the world: Damascus, Syria
Overall rating: 172
The stability: 20
Health care: 29.2
Culture & environment: 40.5
Education: 33.3
The infrastructure: 32.1
Here are the rest of the top 10 worst places to live
- Tehran, Iran
- Douala, Cameroon
- Harare, Zimbabwe
- Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Port Moresby, PNG
- Karachi, Pakistan
- Algiers, Algeria
- Tripoli, Libya
- Lagos, Nigeria
- Damascus, Syria
What the cities on the worst list all seem to have in common are some serious social problems and safety concerns. For example, the index suggests that Damascus’s place on the list could be the result of social unrest, terrorism and conflict affecting the Syrian city.
Lagos – the cultural capital of Nigeria – made the list because, according to United States Department of StateIt is known for crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping and maritime crime.
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