The ‘Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)‘ recently launched its annual ranking of the most liveable cities in the world, the “Global Liveability Index”, for the year 2022.
About the Global Liveability Index 2022
The EIU ranked 173 cities worldwide based on several criteria, including healthcare, political stability, infrastructure, access to green space, and crime rates.
The index quantifies the challenges presented to an individual’s lifestyle in 173 cities.
The 2022 Index highlights some significant changes compared to the Global Liveability Index for 2021.
The report analyses the cities and rates them on a scale from 1 to 100, looking at over 30 quantitative and qualitative factors across five broad categories: stability, healthcare, education, culture & environment, and infrastructure.
Ranking Parameters
- The cities are ranked based on five broad parameters:
- Stability,
- Healthcare,
- Education,
- Culture & Environment,
- Infrastructure.
- Stability and Culture & Environment have the highest weightage of 25% each, whereas Healthcare and Infrastructure get a weightage of 20% each, and Education has a weightage of 10%.
- The ‘Stability’ score is on the basis of the prevalence of petty crimes, the threat of terror, violent crimes, military conflict and civil unrest.
- ‘Education’ is on the basis of the availability of private education & its quality and public education.
- The ‘Healthcare’ parameter is on the basis of the quality of public and private healthcare, infrastructure, and availability of medicines.
- The ‘Culture and Environment’ parameter is on the basis of indicators, ranging from weather to corruption, sporting availability, social and religious restrictions, culture and ratings on food & drinks and consumer goods & services.
- The ‘Infrastructure’ score is on the basis of indicators, such as quality of roads, public transport system, international links, telecommunications, energy provision, water, and availability of good quality housing.
Key points of the report
- Western European and Canadian cities dominate the top ten rankings in the Global Liveability Index 2022.
- Vienna (Austria) tops the rankings in 2022, having won previously in 2018 and 2019.
- Several of the top 10 cities are following minimum COVID-19 rules. Schools, museums, eateries, and shops, have all resumed operations.
- As COVID-19 restrictions have lifted, the ranking of Calgary (Canada) has increased by 18 places and now ties with Zurich (Switzerland) at 3rd position.
- The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on hospital admissions has also diminished, which eased the burden on the healthcare systems and resources.
- In the analysis of the wealthiest countries, the mid-sized cities have typically fared very well.
- Eastern European cities slip in the rankings amid increased geopolitical risks.
- The capital city of Ukraine, Kyiv, has not been listed after Russia invaded it in February 2022. The Russian cities, such as Moscow and St Peterburg, record a fall in scores due to increased instability, censorship and western sanctions.
- Damascus (Syria) ranked at the bottom as the least liveable city, reflecting the social unrest and conflict in that country.
Top 10 Liveable cities
| Rank | Cities | Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vienna (Austria) | 99.1 |
| 2 | Copenhagen (Denmark) | 98.0 |
| 3 | Zurich (Switzerland) | 96.3 |
| 4 | Calgary (Canada) | 96.3 |
| 5 | Vancouver (Canada) | 96.1 |
| 6 | Geneva (Switzerland) | 95.9 |
| 7 | Frankfurt (Germany) | 95.7 |
| 8 | Toronto (Canada) | 95.4 |
| 9 | Amsterdam (Netherlands) | 95.3 |
| 10 | Osaka (Japan) Melbourne (Australia) | 95.1 |
Bottom 10 Liveable cities
| Rank | Cities | Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 163 | Tehran (Iran) | 44.0 |
| 164 | Douala (Cameroon) | 43.3 |
| 165 | Harare (Zimbabwe) | 40.9 |
| 166 | Dhaka (Bangladesh) | 39.2 |
| 167 | Port Moresby (PNG) | 38.8 |
| 168 | Karachi (Pakistan) | 37.5 |
| 169 | Algiers (Algeria) | 37.0 |
| 170 | Tripoli (Libya) | 34.2 |
| 171 | Lagos (Nigeria) | 32.2 |
| 172 | Damascus (Syria) | 30.7 |
India and its neighbours
The cities in India have fared poorly in the list of the world’s most liveable cities. The 2022 Global Liveability Index surveyed five Indian cities: New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Bengaluru. The 2022 Index, for the first time, includes Chennai, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad; earlier reports only featured Delhi and Mumbai.
Among Indian cities, New Delhi received the rank of 140th with a liveability score of 56.5, followed by Mumbai at 141st position (score 56.2), Chennai at 142nd (score 55.8), Ahmedabad at 143rd (score 55.7), and Bengaluru at 146th (score 54.4).
| City | Rank | Liveability score | Stability | Healthcare | Education | Culture & Environment | Infrastructure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Delhi | 140 | 56.5 | 50 | 58.3 | 75 | 48.6 | 62.5 |
| Mumbai | 141 | 56.2 | 60 | 54.2 | 66.7 | 50.7 | 55.4 |
| Chennai | 142 | 55.8 | 60 | 58.3 | 75 | 46.5 | 50 |
| Ahmedabad | 143 | 55.7 | 65 | 54.2 | 66.7 | 44.4 | 50 |
| Bengaluru | 146 | 54.4 | 60 | 58.3 | 75 | 47.2 | 46.4 |
The Bangladesh capital Dhaka (166th position) and the Pakistani city of Karachi (168th rank) are among the least liveable cities in the world.