Copenhagen the most livable city in 2026 – EIU Index

Vienna loses ground on Stability

Vienna had previously held the title for years, only ceding it to Copenhagen in 2025. Compared to 2024, Vienna lost ground only in its Stability score in 2025 – but did so significantly. After still receiving the top score of 100 points in 2024, Vienna received only 95 points the following year. The federal capital was already overtaken the previous year, after three consecutive top placements in the ranking, by the Danish capital Copenhagen, which also took first place in 2026.

According to the assessment, the attack plans on a Vienna train station that became known in early 2025 also played a role in Vienna's evaluation. The score reportedly dropped after attack plans on a (later canceled) Taylor Swift concert in the summer of 2024 also became public. The deterioration exemplifies the extent to which security-related incidents and threats feed into the overall assessment.

Asia catches up

With Vancouver in ninth place, only one North American city makes it into the top ten; Tokyo occupies tenth place and is thus the only megacity in the top ten. Both cities benefit from a balanced mix of infrastructure and quality of life, even though they do not reach Copenhagen's top scores.

Asia recorded the strongest regional gain, rising by 0.3 points to 73.9. All 19 cities considered in China improved in the Healthcare category. Contributing factors included expanded health insurance coverage as well as progress toward the Chinese leadership's goal of making medical facilities reachable for all residents within a 15-minute walk.

Losers in the Middle East and crisis regions

Among the losers are cities in the Middle East: Muscat dropped 14 places to 123rd, Kuwait City fell twelve places to 105th. Doha (Qatar), a popular location for expats, lost seven places and now ranks 108th. Dubai and Abu Dhabi (both United Arab Emirates) each lost four places and now rank 79th and 76th respectively.

New York improved by three places to 66th and recorded one of the largest increases in the index with a gain of 1.2 points. Sydney and Melbourne also remain among the livable cities, without however breaking into the top group.

At the bottom of the ranking is once again – since 2013 – Damascus, the war-scarred capital of Syria. Even though healthcare has improved since the change of power in Syria at the end of 2024, the overall rating remains low. Tehran slipped to 164th place as a result of the war, placing it among the ten lowest-rated cities; Kyiv fell back to 166th place.