The Austrian capital Vienna has returned as the most livable city in the world, according to an annual report by The Economist published on Thursday.
Ukraine’s capital Kyiv was not included this year after Russia invaded the country in late February, while Russian cities Moscow and St Petersburg fell in the rankings due to “censorship” and the impact of western sanctions.
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report, Vienna snatched the top spot from Auckland, which had fallen to 34th place due to restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Vienna, which slipped to 12th place in our ranking in early 2021 due to the closure of its museums and restaurants, has since returned to first place, the position it held in 2018 and 2019,” it said.
“Stability and good infrastructure are the city’s main attractions for its residents, supported by good health care and many opportunities for culture and entertainment.”
Europe boasted six of the top ten cities.
The Austrian capital was followed by the Danish capital Copenhagen and Swiss Zurich. Neighboring Switzerland’s Geneva was sixth, Germany’s Frankfurt seventh and Netherlands’ Amsterdam ninth.
Calgary tied for third place, followed by Vancouver in fifth and Toronto in eighth.
Japan’s Osaka and Australia’s Melbourne tied for tenth place.
France’s capital, Paris, ranked 19th, up 23 places from last year.
Belgium’s capital, Brussels, was 24th, just behind Canada’s Montreal.
The UK capital London was the 33rd most livable city in the world, while Spanish cities Barcelona and Madrid came in at 35th and 43rd.
Italy’s Milan ranked 49th, US city New York 51st, and China’s Beijing 71st.
Lebanon’s capital Beirut, which was hit by a port blast in 2020 and grappling with a crippling financial crisis, didn’t make the ranking of business destinations.
Neither was the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, after the Russian invasion on February 24 forced the EIU to abandon its survey of the city.
Russia’s capital Moscow fell 15 places in the quality of life ranking, while St. Petersburg slipped 13 places.
“Increased censorship accompanies the ongoing conflict,” the report said.
“As a result of Western economic sanctions, Russian cities are also confronted with cultural and environmental restrictions.”
Other cities in Eastern Europe were said to be less stable following “elevated diplomatic tensions” due to the war in Ukraine.
The capital of war-torn Syria, Damascus retained its place as the world’s least livable city.
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