Japan and the US Both Lost! Top 10 Most Livable Cities in the World 2026 — Two Asian Cities Ranked, Offering High Quality of Life, Comfortable Environment, and Convenience

What city do you dream of moving to? The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has just released its 2026 edition of the 'Global Liveability Index,' and Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, has demonstrated exceptional strength, securing the title of the world's most livable city for the second year in a row, once again surpassing Vienna, Austria, which previously held the top spot for three consecutive years.

This annual ranking evaluates 173 cities worldwide across five key areas: education, stability, healthcare, infrastructure, and culture & environment. Copenhagen achieved perfect scores in 'stability,' 'infrastructure,' and 'education,' thanks to its outstanding public services and quality of life, rightfully claiming the top position once again.

The 2026 Most Livable Cities Ranking Is Out! Copenhagen Wins Back-to-Back, with Two Japanese Cities in the Top 10

Looking at the 2026 top 10 list, alongside Europe's long-standing happy cities, Australia and Japan also delivered outstanding performances. The top 10 most livable cities in the world are as follows:

1. Denmark – Copenhagen (Copenhagen) 2. Austria – Vienna (Vienna) 3. Australia – Melbourne (Melbourne) 4. Australia – Sydney (Sydney) 5. Switzerland – Zurich (Zurich) 6. Switzerland – Geneva (Geneva) 7. Japan – Osaka (Osaka) 8. Australia – Adelaide (Adelaide) 9. Canada – Vancouver (Vancouver) 10. Japan – Tokyo (Tokyo)

Notably, Vancouver, Canada, is the only North American city to enter the top 10 this time, standing alone as the representative of North America. In Asia, only Osaka and Tokyo from Japan managed to break into the top 10. Meanwhile, Hong Kong, a popular travel and business hub among Taiwanese people, ranked 44th in this evaluation.

Healthcare Investment Is Key! Asia's Livability Rises Against the Trend, with One Chinese City Making a Major Leap

From a regional perspective, while Western Europe remains the most livable region globally, its average score slightly dropped to 91.7 due to declines in culture and environment scores. In contrast, Asia's overall score rose by 0.3 points to 73.9, primarily driven by significant improvements in healthcare standards across major cities.

The report specifically highlights that several Chinese cities have significantly improved their healthcare scores due to recent investments in public services. Fuzhou stands out the most, jumping seven places from last year to rank 93rd, clearly reflecting the results of long-term investments in elderly care insurance and medical infrastructure.

In the United States, New York City rose three places to 66th, benefiting from reduced crime rates and lower security risks. Meanwhile, Honolulu, Hawaii, slipped two places to 25th but remains the highest-ranked livable city in the U.S.

War Clouds Looming! Middle East Instability Hurts City Rankings, Tehran Suffers Major Decline

While some cities celebrate, others suffer, as geopolitical tensions and instability directly impact livability scores. The Gulf region in the Middle East saw multiple cities plummet in the 'stability' category due to worsening conflict situations.

Muscat, the capital of Oman, fell 14 places to 123rd, while Kuwait City dropped 12 places to 105th. Tehran, Iran's capital at the center of the storm, plunged to 164th. Additionally, Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, affected by ongoing warfare, ranked 166th; Damascus, the capital of Syria, remains at the bottom of the list due to persistent civil unrest, making it the least livable city in the world.

Ana Nicholls, EIU's Industry Director, summarized: 'The global average livability score this year is largely unchanged from last year, mainly because the deterioration in stability in the Middle East and improvements in healthcare in Asia have offset each other. However, the rise of Asian cities is an undeniable trend. Currently, nine out of the top 20 most livable cities globally are in Asia, demonstrating strong urban competitiveness.'