The best cities to live in 2025: what has changed in the global ranking and why Kyiv is among the outsiders

The Economist Intelligence Unit has published its ranking of the world's most livable cities in 2025 — Copenhagen tops the list, while Kyiv is among the ten least livable cities. Find out what influenced the changes in the cities' positions in the global ranking

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The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), part of the influential British group The Economist, has published its annual Global Liveability Index for 2025, covering 173 cities around the world. This time, Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, showed the best results, topping the list of the most livable cities for the first time, ahead of the long-time leader, Vienna.

What criteria are used in the EIU's ranking of the best cities?

The assessment of the quality of life in cities around the world is based on five main indicators:

● stability (crime rate, social tension, and political security);

● healthcare (accessibility, quality of medical services and hospitals);

● culture and environment (access to culture, green spaces, environmental situation);

● education (level of school and higher education);

● infrastructure (roads, transport, electricity and water supply).

Changes in the top ten: who tops the ranking of the best cities to live in the world?

The top 10 of the EIU 2025 ranking includes:

1. Copenhagen, Denmark

2. Vienna, Austria

3. Zurich, Switzerland

4. Melbourne, Australia

5. Geneva, Switzerland

6. Sydney, Australia

7. Osaka, Japan

8. Auckland, New Zealand

9. Adelaide, Australia

10. Vancouver, Canada

Australian cities have once again demonstrated consistently high results, which speaks to the quality of municipal management and attention to urban planning. At the same time, Canada lost ground — due to the strain on the healthcare system, Calgary fell from 5th to 18th place, and Toronto fell from 12th to 16th.

Why did Vienna lose its lead?

Despite high scores in most categories, Vienna suffered a “sharp decline” in the stability category. This was due to an incident involving a bomb threat at a Taylor Swift concert, which led to the evacuation of thousands of people. Although the city maintained excellent scores in education, healthcare, and transportation, this incident affected its overall rating.

Copenhagen, on the other hand, received the highest scores in three categories — stability, education, and infrastructure — securing it first place. The city has long been considered an example of urban harmony, from environmental sustainability to high levels of social protection.

In addition, this year the city also scored highly in terms of public safety. Against a backdrop of global instability caused by conflicts and political crises, this factor was decisive in the ranking.

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The worst cities to live in: Kyiv is among them

Unfortunately, Kyiv has been ranked among the top 10 least comfortable cities to live in for the third time in a row. The main reason is the high level of danger caused by daily shelling and the constant threat to the civilian population. This significantly reduces stability indicators, despite the high level of education and culture.

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In addition to Kyiv, the list of the least livable cities includes:

● Damascus (Syria) — 173rd place (last);

● Dhaka (Bangladesh);

● Tripoli (Libya);

● Karachi (Pakistan);

● Algiers (Algeria).

These cities have similar problems: political instability, destroyed infrastructure, poor quality of healthcare, and the threat of violence.

How the situation in the world has changed: a general decline in stability

According to Barsali Bhattacharya, deputy director of the EIU's industry division, 2025 was marked by a decline in global stability. This factor has worsened the position of even cities that were previously at the top — in particular, London, Manchester, and Edinburgh in the UK fell due to internal unrest following the attack in Southport.

Asian cities also saw their ratings decline due to growing geopolitical tensions in India and around Taiwan.

However, some regions saw progress. For example, Al-Khobar (Saudi Arabia) jumped 13 places thanks to large-scale investments in healthcare and education as part of the Vision 2030 national program. Jakarta (Indonesia) also improved its position thanks to greater stability.

The EIU ranking remains an influential benchmark not only for citizens but also for employers, diplomatic institutions, and international companies. It is taken into account when making decisions about relocation, signing contracts, or determining compensation for employees abroad.

We remind you! Even the war did not stop Jonas from coming to Ukraine. And now he advises everyone to do the same. Read why the tourist decided to see the truth with his own eyes, what surprised him in Ukraine, whether he felt fear during his trip, and how the Visit Ukraine team helped him in our recent interview with the British tourist.

Photo: iStock

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