Copenhagen in Denmark keeps its position as the most liveable city worldwide, earning a perfect 100 out of 100 in three categories, with Vienna in Austria and Melbourne in Australia right behind.
New York improved its score by 1.2 points, marking one of the largest increases among all cities tracked.
Western Europe remains the top region overall, though its average of 91.7 slipped slightly from the prior year, while Asia rose 0.3 points to reach 73.9.
The Iran conflict reduced stability throughout the Gulf, leading to a one-point drop in the average score for Middle East and North Africa cities, now at 61.2.
Cities across China advanced in the rankings thanks to stronger healthcare results.
After slipping last year amid unrest, Manchester at 52nd, London at 54th and Edinburgh at 64th held steady.
The EIU Global Liveability Index evaluates 173 cities using 30 indicators in five areas: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

The average liveability score for all cities stands at 76.1 in the May 2026 survey, unchanged from last year. Stability scores dropped 0.5 points on average, balanced by a 0.7-point rise in healthcare.

The Middle East felt the stability decline most sharply because of the Iran conflict. The 18 MENA cities fell more than three spots on average. Muscat in Oman at 123rd and Kuwait City at 105th dropped 14 and 12 places, the largest declines recorded.

All 19 Chinese cities gained in healthcare, driven by expanded social insurance and new facilities. Five now exceed 80 in that category and lead the upward movers, topped by Fuzhou in the southeast, which rose seven spots to 93rd.

New York moved up three places to 66th but remains the third-lowest US city after Detroit and Lexington. Its gains came in stability from lower crime and reduced terrorism risks. Vancouver in Canada sits ninth and is the sole North American city in the top ten.

Tokyo improved in culture and environment to enter the top ten. Singapore at 26th and Hong Kong at 44th stayed flat, with strong marks elsewhere but limits in culture and environment from restricted political freedoms.

These shifts produced a 0.3-point gain for Asian cities, making the region the biggest improver. The 58 Asian cities average 73.9, just ahead of eastern Europe. In Latin America, stability largely determines rankings, with violence from drug trade and weak institutions hurting cities in Mexico, Colombia and Ecuador.

The bottom ten cities suffer mainly from war or poverty and score poorly on stability. Damascus in Syria remains last while recovering from civil war, though healthcare improved after the December 2024 overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. Tehran in Iran entered the bottom ten at 164th due to the conflict, alongside Kyiv in Ukraine at 166th. Caracas in Venezuela narrowly avoided the bottom group after a US-backed government change.

Ana Nicholls, industry director at EIU, noted that Copenhagen leads the 2026 index while New York recorded one of the largest annual gains. Global scores held steady as Middle East stability losses offset Asian healthcare gains across 173 cities. Nine Asian cities now rank in the top 20 alongside seven European ones.