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We’re back, baby! The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index just dropped, and Melbourne has done us proud, soaring up the list and landing a bronze medal.
Once the darling of this annual inventory (remember when Melbourne was crowned the world’s most liveable city for seven years in a row?), the Victorian capital fell to tenth in 2022, with the prolonged effects of Covid-19 to blame. But it’s only taken one year to shake off those pandemic blues, with Melbourne coming in hot behind Vienna and Copenhagen, both of which retained their positions in the number one and two spots.
Melbourne’s main local rival, Sydney, also recovered well – coming in fourth, a solid upswing from 13th in 2022. And the strong rankings were shared right across the country, with Perth and Adelaide at equal 12th (up from 32nd and 30th) and Brisbane 16th (up from 27th).
“From the most locked-down city to the world’s third most liveable city is pretty darn good,” said lord mayor Sally Capp. “It’s cute to see Sydney nipping at our heels, and we’ll leverage this competition to push us to do better, work harder and achieve our rightful position at the top once again.”
The annual report evaluated the best and worst living conditions of 173 cities based on five major categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Melbourne scored extremely high in education and culture (100 and 95.8, respectively), giving it the edge over Sydney. Both cities achieved improved healthcare scores.
The ten most liveable cities are:
- Vienna, Austria
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Melbourne, Australia
- Sydney, Australia
- Vancouver, Canada
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Calgary, Canada
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Toronto, Canada
- Osaka, Japan
While we don’t need reminding of Melbourne’s all-round liveability (but in case you do need a refresher: here’s a round-up of our best restaurants, theatre productions, bars and exhibitions), sometimes it’s nice to receive a global pat on the back – that, we’ll always gladly accept.