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Copenhagen Retains World's Most Liveable City Title in EIU 2026 Ranking as New York Posts One of the Year's Largest Score Gains

7/7/2026

Copenhagen, Denmark has held its position as the world's most liveable city in the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2026 Liveability Index, scoring a perfect 100 out of 100 in three separate categories.

Vienna, Austria and Melbourne, Australia followed close behind, while New York logged a score improvement of 1.2 points — placing it among the largest single-year gains recorded by any city in the index.

What the EIU Liveability Index Measures and Why It Matters The Economist Intelligence Unit's Liveability Index is an annual benchmark that scores cities against a defined set of categories, producing a numerical rating that allows direct city-to-city comparison.

For the reader tracking where capital and talent flow, liveability rankings serve as a leading indicator: corporations weighing regional headquarters locations, real estate investors evaluating long-term demand, and highly mobile workers deciding where to plant roots all treat indices like this one as input data.