City quality of life indices
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
City quality of life indices are lists of cities that are ranked according to a defined measure of living conditions. In addition to considering the provision of clean water, clean air, adequate food and shelter, many indexes also measure more subjective elements including a city's capacity to generate a sense of community and offer hospitable settings for all, especially young people, to develop social skills, a sense of autonomy and identity.[1]
The reason some cities appear in one ranking but not another is often related to the different criteria used between rankings, but more commonly it is related the difference in weighting given to similar factors.[2]
Global Liveability Index
The Global Liveability Index is a yearly assessment published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), ranking 173 global cities for their quality of life based on assessments of stability, health care, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Copenhagen was ranked the most liveable city in 2025, while Damascus was ranked the least liveable. Cities from the Western world dominate the top 10, reflecting their widespread availability of goods and services, low personal risk, and effective infrastructure.
| Rank | City | Country | Index | Stability | Healthcare | Culture and environment | Education | Infrastructure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copenhagen |  Denmark | 98.0 | 100.0 | 95.8 | 95.4 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| 2 | Vienna |  Austria | 97.1 | 95.0 | 100.0 | 93.5 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| 2 | Zurich |  Switzerland | 97.1 | 95.0 | 100.0 | 96.3 | 100.0 | 96.4 |
| 4 | Melbourne |  Australia | 97.0 | 95.0 | 100.0 | 95.8 | 100.0 | 96.4 |
| 5 | Geneva | Switzerland | 96.8 | 95.0 | 100.0 | 94.9 | 100.0 | 96.4 |
| 6 | Sydney | Australia | 96.6 | 95.0 | 100.0 | 94.4 | 100.0 | 96.4 |
| 7 | Osaka |  Japan | 96.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 86.8 | 100.0 | 96.4 |
| 7 | Auckland |  New Zealand | 96.0 | 95.0 | 95.8 | 97.9 | 100.0 | 92.9 |
| 9 | Adelaide | Australia | 95.9 | 95.0 | 100.0 | 91.4 | 100.0 | 96.4 |
| 10 | Vancouver |  Canada | 95.8 | 95.0 | 95.8 | 97.2 | 100.0 | 92.9 |
Monocle's Quality of Life Survey
Since 2006, the lifestyle magazine Monocle has published an annual list of top locations for quality of life. Important criteria in this survey are safety/crime, international connectivity, climate/sunshine, quality of architecture, public transport, tolerance, environmental issues and access to nature, urban design, business conditions, proactive policy developments and medical care.
| Rank | City | Country/Region |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo | Japan |
| 2 | Copenhagen | Denmark |
| 3 | Lisbon |  Portugal |
| 4 | Vienna | Austria |
| 5 | Sydney | Australia |
| 6 | Zurich | Switzerland |
| 7 | Madrid |  Spain |
| 8 | Paris |  France |
| 9 | Munich |  Germany |
| 10 | Oslo |  Norway |
| 11 | Stockholm |  Sweden |
| 12 | Milan |  Italy |
| 13 | Barcelona | Spain |
| 14 | Singapore |  Singapore |
| 15 | Amsterdam |  Netherlands |
| 16 | Helsinki |  Finland |
| 17 | Seoul |  South Korea |
| 18 | Melbourne | Australia |
| 19 | Vancouver | Canada |
| 20 | Kyoto | Japan |
| Perth | Australia |
Mercer's Quality of Living Ranking
American global human resources and related financial services consulting firm Mercer annually releases its Quality of Living City Ranking, comparing 241 cities based on 39 criteria (including safety, education, hygiene, health care, culture, environment, recreation, political-economic stability, public transport and access to goods and services). New York City is given a baseline score of 100 and other cities are rated in comparison. The list is intended to help multinational companies decide where to open offices or plants and how much to pay employees.
| Rank | City | Country/Region |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zürich | Switzerland |
| 2 | Vienna | Austria |
| 3 | Geneva | Switzerland |
| 4 | Copenhagen | Denmark |
| 5 | Auckland | New Zealand |
| 6 | Amsterdam | Netherlands |
| 7 | Frankfurt | Germany |
| 7 | Vancouver | Canada |
| 9 | Bern | Switzerland |
| 10 | Basel | Switzerland |
| 11 | Munich | Germany |
| 12 | Sydney | Australia |
| 13 | Toronto | Canada |
| 14 | The Hague | Netherlands |
| 14 | Wellington | New Zealand |
| 16 | Düsseldorf | Germany |
| 17 | Luxembourg |  Luxembourg |
| 18 | Stockholm | Sweden |
| 19 | Berlin | Germany |
| 20 | Montreal | Canada |
| 21 | Melbourne | Australia |
| 22 | Oslo | Norway |
| 23 | Ottawa | Canada |
| 24 | Perth | Australia |
| 25 | Calgary | Canada |
Numbeo's Quality of Life Ranking
Numbeo is a crowd-sourced global database of reported consumer prices, perceived crime rates, quality of health care, among other statistics. The rankings are updated twice per year.[6]
| Rank | City | Country/Region |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Hague | Netherlands |
| 2 | Eindhoven | Netherlands |
| 3 | Rotterdam | Netherlands |
| 4 | Utrecht | Netherlands |
| 5 | Gent |  Belgium |
| 6 | Stuttgart | Germany |
| 7 | Groningen | Netherlands |
| 8 | Luxembourg | Luxembourg |
| 9 | Nuremberg | Germany |
| 10 | Gothenburg | Sweden |
| 11 | Stavanger | Norway |
| 12 | Copenhagen | Denmark |
| 13 | Amsterdam | Netherlands |
| 14 | Dusseldorf | Germany |
| 15 | Bergen | Norway |
| 16 | Vienna | Austria |
| 17 | Munich | Germany |
| 18 | Frankfurt | Germany |
| 19 | Helsinki | Finland |
| 20 | Reykjavik |  Iceland |
The full ranking includes 242 cities.
Happy City Index
The Happy City Index produced by the Institute for Quality of Life uses 23 different areas of activity, divided into five key categories to determine the overall sense of happiness among residents directly relating to their quality of life. The ranking includes all cities whose activities can be measured based on objective, transparent, and verifiable data. It also highlights cities that demonstrate exceptional achievements in terms of quality of life.[7]
| Rank | City | Country/Region |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copenhagen | Denmark |
| 2 | Helsinki | Finland |
| 3 | Geneva | Switzerland |
| 4 | Uppsala | Sweden |
| 5 | Tokyo | Japan |
| 6 | Trondheim | Norway |
| 7 | Bern | Switzerland |
| 8 | Malmö | Sweden |
| 9 | Munich | Germany |
| 10 | Aarhus | Denmark |
| 11 | Zurich | Switzerland |
| 12 | Barcelona | Spain |
| 13 | Espoo | Finland |
| 14 | Oslo | Norway |
| 15 | The Hague | Netherlands |
| 16 | Ballarat | Australia |
| 17 | Aalborg | Denmark |
| 18 | Yokohama | Japan |
| 19 | Lugano | Switzerland |
| 20 | Reykjavik | Iceland |
| 21 | Jönköping | Sweden |
| 22 | Singapore | Singapore |
| 23 | Grenoble | France |
| 24 | Stuttgart | Germany |
| 25 | Paris | France |
See also
- European Green Capital Award – Award for a European city based on its environmental record
- Global city – City important to the world economy
- Healthy city – Concept in urban design for health
- List of most expensive cities for expatriate employees
- List of largest cities
- Urban vitality – Intensity of use of an urban area