Annual rankings return Austria\u2019s capital to first place, as former title-holder Auckland tumbles to 34th and Ukraine war sees eastern cities slump<\/p>\n
The Austrian capital, Vienna, has made a comeback as the world\u2019s most liveable city, according to an annual report from the Economist.<\/p>\n
Vienna snatched the top spot from New Zealand city Auckland, which tumbled down to 34th place due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions, according to the report by the Economist intelligence unit published on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cVienna, which slipped to 12th place in our rankings in early 2021 as its museums and restaurants were closed, has since rebounded to first place, the position it held in 2018 and 2019,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n
\u201cStability and good infrastructure are the city\u2019s main charms for its inhabitants, supported by good healthcare and plenty of opportunities for culture and entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melbourne has retained its place as one of the world\u2019s most liveable cities, ranking 10th, as other Australian capitals dropped out of the global top 10. Last year Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth were all in the top 10, but they have fallen to 27th, 30th and 32nd respectively.<\/p>\n
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 \u201ccensorship\u201d and the impact of western sanctions.
\nA view of Auckland from the Sky Tower. The Economist Intelligence Unit has named Auckland world\u2019s most liveable city.
\nWorld\u2019s most liveable city: Auckland wins as Covid shakes up rankings
\nRead more<\/p>\n
Europe boasted six out of the top 10 cities.<\/p>\n
The Austrian capital was followed by the Danish capital, Copenhagen, and Switzerland\u2019s Zurich. Fellow Swiss city Geneva came sixth, Germany\u2019s Frankfurt seventh, and the Netherlands\u2019 Amsterdam ninth.<\/p>\n
Canada also did well. Calgary came in joint third position, followed by Vancouver in fifth place and Toronto in eighth.<\/p>\n
Japan\u2019s Osaka and Australia\u2019s Melbourne shared 10th place. France\u2019s capital, Paris, came 19th, 23 places up from last year. The Belgian capital, Brussels, was 24th, just behind Canada\u2019s Montreal.<\/p>\n
The premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, said the ranking shows Melbourne is back on the world stage after years of Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to get a table at a restaurant, it\u2019s hard to get a room in a hotel,\u201d Andrews told reporters on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe city\u2019s back. We are thriving and Victorians can be very proud of what they\u2019ve achieved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melbourne held the title of the world\u2019s most liveable city for seven years from 2011, before it was unseated in 2018 by the Austrian capital, Vienna.<\/p>\n
Auckland\u2019s fall in the rankings reflected the changing landscape of the coronavirus pandemic over the past year, with vaccination allowing many societies to reopen.<\/p>\n
While it was demoted for its Covid restrictions this year, they were responsible for it gaining top spot in 2021, with the Economist saying at the time: \u201cNew Zealand\u2019s tough lockdown allowed their society to reopen and enabled citizens of cities like Auckland and Wellington to enjoy a lifestyle that looked similar to pre-pandemic life.\u201d<\/p>\n
More bluntly, politics reporter Thomas Coughlan remarked then that: \u201cI guess there\u2019s no pandemic here so it\u2019s technically easier to be alive here versus being dead elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
In this year\u2019s rankings, the UK\u2019s capital, London, was the world\u2019s 33rd most liveable city, five places behind Manchester in 28. Spain\u2019s Barcelona and Madrid came 35th and 43rd respectively. Italy\u2019s Milan ranked number 49, the US city of New York 51, and China\u2019s Beijing came 71st.<\/p>\n
Lebanon\u2019s capital, Beirut, which was ravaged by a 2020 port explosion and is battling a crippling financial crisis, was not included in the ranking of business destinations.<\/p>\n
Neither was Kyiv, after the Russian invasion on 24 February forced the Economist to abort its survey of the city. Russia\u2019s capital, Moscow, saw its liveability ranking fall by 15 places, while St Petersburg slipped by 13 places.<\/p>\n
\u201cIncreased censorship accompanies the ongoing conflict,\u201d the report noted. \u201cRussian cities are additionally seeing restrictions on culture and environment as a result of western economic sanctions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other cities in eastern Europe were considered less stable following \u201craised diplomatic tensions\u201d due to the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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