Vienna again tops list of world's most livable cities

European, Canadian cities dominate list of ‘most livable’

What you probably already know: The Economist released its annual list of the most livable cities in the world and Vienna topped the list for the third year in a row. The list looks at everything from cost of living to civil unrest to entertainment opportunities to climate change to public transit and crime rates, issuing each city a score.

Why? The list can spotlight areas where unrest and conflict are making life harder for residents, such as Kyiv and Tel Aviv, which dropped significantly in the last year. Tel Aviv fell 20 spots, the most of any city this year. Cost of living can also drive down a city’s ranking. Miami fell eight spots this year as costs drove down livability. There were no American cities in to the top 10.

What it means: Vienna was No. 1, followed by Copenhagen, Zurich, Melbourne, and Calgary. The first American city on the list was Honolulu, though several other cities ranked well including Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Seattle. However, the Economist warned that campus protests across the U.S. could drive down scores next year in some cities.

What happens now? The cities of Damascus, Tripoli, Algiers, Lagos and Karachi were among the least livable, according to the report, largely due to political instability and war. Damascus has been the least livable since 2013. Overall, however, the survey found livability has increased slightly, up 0.06 points this past year.

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