Copenhagen has retained its position as the world’s most livable city for a second consecutive year, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) 2026 Global Livability Index.
The Danish capital secured the top spot after earning perfect scores for stability, education and infrastructure. It first overtook Vienna in 2025 and successfully defended its lead this year.
The EIU assessed 173 cities using five key indicators: healthcare, education, stability, infrastructure and environment.
Meanwhile, Vienna shared second place after leading the rankings from 2022 to 2024.
Australia dominated the upper tier of the index, with Melbourne ranking third and Sydney fourth. Zurich and Geneva in Switzerland secured fifth and sixth places, respectively.
In Asia, Osaka emerged as the region’s highest-ranked city, placing seventh overall. Adelaide finished eighth, while Vancouver claimed ninth place. Tokyo completed the top 10.
Karachi remained Pakistan’s only city on the index and ranked 170th, unchanged from last year.
Only Dhaka in Bangladesh, Tripoli in Libya and Damascus in Syria ranked lower than Karachi.
Furthermore, the report said geopolitical tensions and armed conflicts continued to affect the livability of several Middle Eastern cities.
As a result, Tehran ranked 164th, while Muscat recorded one of the biggest declines by dropping 14 places to 123rd. Kuwait City also slipped 12 positions to 105th.
The annual index provides a global comparison of urban living conditions and highlights how political stability, public services and infrastructure influence overall quality of life.
