These are the world’s most liveable cities

The Austrian capital, Vienna, was named as the world’s most liveable city, snatching the top spot from New Zealand city Auckland, according to an annual report from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

Auckland moved down to 34th place due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Vienna slipped to the 12th place in the early 2021 rankings as its museums and restaurants were closed, but has now rebounded to first place, the position it held in 2018 and 2019, the report said.

This new survey has ranked 173 places according to factors including healthcare, political stability and access to green space.

The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, was not included this year after Russia invaded the country in late February, while Russian cities Moscow and St Petersburg fell in the rankings over “censorship” and the impact of western sanctions.

The ten most liveable cities in the world, according to the EIU are:

1. Vienna, Austria

2. Copenhagen, Denmark

3. Zurich, Switzerland

4. Calgary, Canada

5. Vancouver, Canada

6. Geneva, Switzerland

7. Frankfurt, Germany

8. Toronto, Canada

9. Amsterdam, Netherlands

10. Osaka, Japan and Melbourne, Australia (tie)