Three Australian cities crack the top ten in new list of world's most liveable locations
Australia has scored three spots on the list of the world's top 10 most liveable cities.
The Economist Intelligence Unit released its annual Global Liveability Index on Wednesday with Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide all cracking the top 10.
Following analysis of 173 cities across the globe, Copenhagen, Denmark, was awarded the world's most liveable city.
It was followed by Vienna, Austria, and Zurich, Switzerland, which tied for second place.
Melbourne was crowned the fourth most liveable city in the world.
It was previously awarded the prestigious top spot for seven years in a row but was dethroned in 2018.
Sydney was ranked the sixth-most liveable city, with Geneva, Switzerland, slipping between it and Melbourne.
The last Australian city to feature on the top 10 list was Adelaide in ninth place.
The remaining top 10 spots were filled by Osaka, Japan, and Auckland, New Zealand, which tied for seventh; and Vancouver, Canada, in tenth.
The EIU ranks cities based on five broad categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.
Copenhagen's win saw Vienna's three-year stint as the world's most liveable city come to an end.
The capital of Denmark received perfect scores for stability, education and infrastructure.
Vienna's slip from the top was attributed to its decreased stability rating following a bomb threat which led to the cancellation of three Taylor Swift concerts in August 2024 and planned attack of a city train station in February 2025.
Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide all received full marks for healthcare and education.
EIU said it's liveability score across the globe had remained the same as 2024 at 76.1 out of 100.
However, it noted increased conflict and housing struggles had significantly affected global stability.
'Scores in the stability category have continued to fall amid geopolitical tensions, civil unrest and widespread housing crises,' it said.
'In several west European cities, terrorist attacks and threats, as well as a rising incidence of crime and xenophobia, continue to undermine stability.
'In Tehran (Iran), and cities in Taiwan and India, stability scores have dropped as the threat of military conflict has intensified.'
All cities in Canada received lower healthcare scores due to longer waiting periods across the board.
The UK also suffered a systematic loss but in the stability category, due to widespread riots and an increase in homelessness.
Damascus, Syria, remained the world's least liveable city.
'Despite last year's regime change, Syria's capital city continues to be scarred by years of civil war and has seen no improvement in liveability,' EIU said.
The most improved city was awarded to Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, which rose 13 places to 135 due to drastically improved scores for healthcare and education.
Calgary, Canada, saw the biggest fall down in rankings from fifth place to 18th.
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