Why in News?
The Global Liveability Index 2026 is in the news because the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) recently released its annual rankings, showing that while global urban liveability has stagnated at an average score of 76.1, major regional shifts are occurring due to geopolitical conflicts and localized infrastructure boosts.
Parameters & Methodology
The report scores 173 global cities across 30 qualitative and quantitative factors, categorized into five core pillars:
- Stability (25%): Evaluates crime rates, civil unrest, and threats of terror or war.
- Healthcare (20%): Measures public and private healthcare availability, quality, and over-the-counter drug access.
- Culture & Environment (25%): Considers weather discomfort, corruption levels, censorship, and social/religious restrictions.
- Education (10%): Examines availability and standards of private and state-funded schooling.
- Infrastructure (20%): Grades public transport, energy/water utilities, housing quality, and telecom networks.
Top 5 Most Liveable Cities
- Copenhagen, Denmark (Retained #1 spot with pristine infrastructure, safety, and schooling scores)
- Vienna, Austria
- Melbourne, Australia
- Sydney, Australia
- Zurich, Switzerland
Bottom Least Liveable Cities
- Damascus, Syria (Remains anchored at the absolute bottom of the index due to ongoing systemic conflict).
- Tripoli, Libya
- Dhaka, Bangladesh
India's Performance Report
None of the assessed Indian centers ranked inside the global top 100:
- New Delhi: Ranked 120th (Stagnant, showing no score changes compared to last year).
- Mumbai: Ranked 121st (Stagnant, mirroring New Delhi's lack of upward mobility).
- Chennai: Ranked 123rd.
- Bengaluru: Ranked 127th.
- Core Hindrances: Experts attribute India's lower bracket rankings to rampant air pollution, severe traffic congestion, overstretched medical systems, and erratic urban flooding.
Key Global Takeaways & Regional Shifts
- Middle East Shockwaves: Geopolitical instability crushed safety rankings; Muscat (Oman) dropped 14 places and Kuwait City plunged 12 spots.
- Asia's Healthcare Rise: Overall Asian averages grew by 0.3 points, propelled heavily by extensive public health investments in Chinese cities.
- Western European Stagnation: While still the most liveable region on average (91.7 score), minor public service pressures caused its overall index trend to flatline.
- Caracas Breakthrough: Venezuela's capital city was the sole entity to pull itself completely out of the bottom 10 following political structural shifts early in the year.
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