// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy did city quality of life indices go to therapy? It had a lot of ranked issues.
City quality of life indices are lists of cities that are ranked according to a defined measure of living conditions. In addition to considering the provision of clean water, clean air, adequate food and shelter, many indexes also measure more subjective elements including a city's capacity to generate a sense of community and offer hospitable settings for all, especially young people, to develop social skills, a sense of autonomy and identity.[1]
The reason some cities appear in one ranking but not another is often related to the different criteria used between rankings, but more commonly it is related the difference in weighting given to similar factors.[2]
Global Liveability Index
[edit]The Global Liveability Index is a yearly assessment published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), ranking 173 global cities for their quality of life based on assessments of stability, health care, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Copenhagen was ranked the most liveable city in 2025, while Damascus was ranked the least liveable. Cities from the Western world dominate the top 10, reflecting their widespread availability of goods and services, low personal risk, and effective infrastructure.
| Rank | City | Country | Index | Stability | Healthcare | Culture and environment | Education | Infrastructure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copenhagen |  Denmark | 98.0 | 100.0 | 95.8 | 95.4 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| 2 | Vienna |  Austria | 97.1 | 95.0 | 100.0 | 93.5 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| 2 | Zurich |  Switzerland | 97.1 | 95.0 | 100.0 | 96.3 | 100.0 | 96.4 |
| 4 | Melbourne |  Australia | 97.0 | 95.0 | 100.0 | 95.8 | 100.0 | 96.4 |
| 5 | Geneva | Switzerland | 96.8 | 95.0 | 100.0 | 94.9 | 100.0 | 96.4 |
| 6 | Sydney | Australia | 96.6 | 95.0 | 100.0 | 94.4 | 100.0 | 96.4 |
| 7 | Osaka |  Japan | 96.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 86.8 | 100.0 | 96.4 |
| 7 | Auckland |  New Zealand | 96.0 | 95.0 | 95.8 | 97.9 | 100.0 | 92.9 |
| 9 | Adelaide | Australia | 95.9 | 95.0 | 100.0 | 91.4 | 100.0 | 96.4 |
| 10 | Vancouver |  Canada | 95.8 | 95.0 | 95.8 | 97.2 | 100.0 | 92.9 |
Monocle's Quality of Life Survey
[edit]Since 2006, the lifestyle magazine Monocle has published an annual list of top locations for quality of life. Important criteria in this survey are safety/crime, international connectivity, climate/sunshine, quality of architecture, public transport, tolerance, environmental issues and access to nature, urban design, business conditions, proactive policy developments and medical care.
| Rank | City | Country/Region |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo | Japan |
| 2 | Copenhagen | Denmark |
| 3 | Lisbon |  Portugal |
| 4 | Vienna | Austria |
| 5 | Sydney | Australia |
| 6 | Zurich | Switzerland |
| 7 | Madrid |  Spain |
| 8 | Paris |  France |
| 9 | Munich |  Germany |
| 10 | Oslo |  Norway |
| 11 | Stockholm |  Sweden |
| 12 | Milan |  Italy |
| 13 | Barcelona | Spain |
| 14 | Singapore |  Singapore |
| 15 | Amsterdam |  Netherlands |
| 16 | Helsinki |  Finland |
| 17 | Seoul |  South Korea |
| 18 | Melbourne | Australia |
| 19 | Vancouver | Canada |
| 20 | Kyoto | Japan |
| Perth | Australia |
Mercer's Quality of Living Ranking
[edit]American global human resources and related financial services consulting firm Mercer annually releases its Quality of Living City Ranking, comparing 241 cities based on 39 criteria (including safety, education, hygiene, health care, culture, environment, recreation, political-economic stability, public transport and access to goods and services). New York City is given a baseline score of 100 and other cities are rated in comparison. The list is intended to help multinational companies decide where to open offices or plants and how much to pay employees.
| Rank | City | Country/Region |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zürich | Switzerland |
| 2 | Vienna | Austria |
| 3 | Geneva | Switzerland |
| 4 | Copenhagen | Denmark |
| 5 | Auckland | New Zealand |
| 6 | Amsterdam | Netherlands |
| 7 | Frankfurt | Germany |
| 7 | Vancouver | Canada |
| 9 | Bern | Switzerland |
| 10 | Basel | Switzerland |
| 11 | Munich | Germany |
| 12 | Sydney | Australia |
| 13 | Toronto | Canada |
| 14 | The Hague | Netherlands |
| 14 | Wellington | New Zealand |
| 16 | Düsseldorf | Germany |
| 17 | Luxembourg |  Luxembourg |
| 18 | Stockholm | Sweden |
| 19 | Berlin | Germany |
| 20 | Montreal | Canada |
| 21 | Melbourne | Australia |
| 22 | Oslo | Norway |
| 23 | Ottawa | Canada |
| 24 | Perth | Australia |
| 25 | Calgary | Canada |
Numbeo's Quality of Life Ranking
[edit]Numbeo is a crowd-sourced global database of reported consumer prices, perceived crime rates, quality of health care, among other statistics. The rankings are updated twice per year.[6]
| Rank | City | Country/Region |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Hague | Netherlands |
| 2 | Groningen | Netherlands |
| 3 | Luxembourg | Luxembourg |
| 4 | Eindhoven | Netherlands |
| 5 | Basel | Switzerland |
| 6 | Bern | Switzerland |
| 7 | Utrecht | Netherlands |
| 8 | Rotterdam | Netherlands |
| 9 | Lausanne | Switzerland |
| 10 | Copenhagen | Denmark |
| 11 | Geneva | Switzerland |
| 12 | Amsterdam | Netherlands |
| 13 | Boise |  United States |
| 14 | Brisbane | Australia |
| 15 | Madison | United States |
| 16 | Helsinki | Finland |
| 17 | Adelaide | Australia |
| 18 | Bergen | Norway |
| 19 | Valencia | Spain |
| 20 | Raleigh | United States |
| 21 | Gothenburg | Sweden |
| 22 | Zurich | Switzerland |
| 23 | Christchurch | New Zealand |
| 24 | Seattle | United States |
| 25 | Perth | Australia |
The full ranking includes 242 cities.
Happy City Index
[edit]The Happy City Index produced by the Institute for Quality of Life uses 23 different areas of activity, divided into five key categories to determine the overall sense of happiness among residents directly relating to their quality of life. The ranking includes all cities whose activities can be measured based on objective, transparent, and verifiable data. It also highlights cities that demonstrate exceptional achievements in terms of quality of life.[7]
| Rank | City | Country/Region |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copenhagen | Denmark |
| 2 | Helsinki | Finland |
| 3 | Geneva | Switzerland |
| 4 | Uppsala | Sweden |
| 5 | Tokyo | Japan |
| 6 | Trondheim | Norway |
| 7 | Bern | Switzerland |
| 8 | Malmö | Sweden |
| 9 | Munich | Germany |
| 10 | Aarhus | Denmark |
| 11 | Zurich | Switzerland |
| 12 | Barcelona | Spain |
| 13 | Espoo | Finland |
| 14 | Oslo | Norway |
| 15 | The Hague | Netherlands |
| 16 | Ballarat | Australia |
| 17 | Aalborg | Denmark |
| 18 | Yokohama | Japan |
| 19 | Lugano | Switzerland |
| 20 | Reykjavik |  Iceland |
| 21 | Jönköping | Sweden |
| 22 | Singapore | Singapore |
| 23 | Grenoble | France |
| 24 | Stuttgart | Germany |
| 25 | Paris | France |
IMD's Smart City Index
[edit]Swiss-based International Institute for Management Development (IMD) publishes the Smart City Index, ranking what makes a city the most livable. Zurich, Oslo, Geneva, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi form the top 5 in 2025.[9]
See also
[edit]
- European Green Capital Award – Award for a European city based on its environmental record
- Global city – City important to the world economy
- Healthy city – Concept in urban design for health
- List of most expensive cities for expatriate employees
- List of largest cities
- Urban vitality – Intensity of use of an urban area
References
[edit]- ↑ Caves, R. W. (2004). Encyclopedia of the City. Routledge. p. 434. ISBN 9780415252256.
- ↑ Vingerhoets, Ad (28 February 2013). "Why some people cry more often than others". Why Only Humans Weep: Unravelling the mysteries of tears. Oxford University Press. pp. 162–186. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198570240.003.0009. ISBN 978-0-19-857024-0.
- ↑ "The Economist Group - EIU Global Liveability Index 2025 Copenhagen replaces Vienna as world's most liveable city". The Economist Group. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ↑ Self, Alexis (July 2026). "Monocle's Quality of Life Survey 2026: The 20 most liveable cities in the world". Monocle. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Quality of living city ranking 2024". Mercer.
- 1 2 "Quality of Life Index by City 2024 Mid-Year". www.numbeo.com.
- ↑ "Metholodogy".
- ↑ "Happy City Index 2025". happy-city-index.com.
- ↑ "Smart City Index Results - IMD business school for management and leadership courses". www.imd.org. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
| Major topics | |
|---|---|
| Society and population | |
| Publications | |
| Lists | |
Events and organizations |
|
| Related topics | |
