Austrians can raise a glass of Grüner Veltliner today, celebrating Vienna’s ranking as the No. 1 ”most liveable city” in the world.
The European city has topped the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) annual survey, ranking 140 cities based on a combination of 30 factors, such as political and social stability, crime, education, and access to health care, reported the BBC.
Take Action: Call on World Leaders to Focus on Adolescent Girls and Improve Their Nutrition
“While in the past couple of years cities in Europe were affected by the spreading perceived threat of terrorism in the region, which caused heightened security measures, the past year has seen a return to normalcy,” the EIU said in a statement, reported the New York Post.
The Austrian capital, home to 1.76 million people and known for its rich artistic and architectural legacy, beat out Melbourne, which held the top slot for the last seven years, noted ABC News.
Osaka, Calgary, Sydney, Vancouver, Toronto, Tokyo, Copenhagen, and Adelaide rounded out the top 10.
But the survey tends to favor medium-sized cities in wealthy countries with relatively low population densities, noted the New York Post. Larger and more crowded cities tend to have higher crime rates and strained infrastructure, said the EIU in a statement regarding the list.
By contrast, war-ravaged Damascus in Syria was ranked the least liveable city in the world, followed by the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, and Lagos in Nigeria, reported the Guardian.
Crime, civil unrest, terrorism, and strife played a “strong role” in determining the 10 lowest-scoring cities, said the EIU, in a report by Times of India. But strikingly, the survey does not include some of the world’s most dangerous capitals, such as Baghdad and Kabul.
Here are the most and least liveable cities:
Top 10 Most Liveable Cities
1. Vienna, Austria
2. Melbourne, Australia
3. Osaka, Japan
4. Calgary, Canada
5. Sydney, Australia
6. Vancouver, Canada
7. Tokyo, Japan
8. Toronto, Canada
9. Copenhagen, Denmark
10. Adelaide, Australia
10 Least Liveable Cities
1. Damascus, Syria
2. Dhaka, Bangladesh
3. Lagos, Nigeria
4. Karachi, Pakistan
5. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
6. Harare, Zimbabwe
7. Tripoli, Libya
8. Douala, Cameroon
9. Algiers, Algeria
10. Dakar, Senegal