Ranked: The Most and Least Livable Cities in 2022

Ranked: The Most and Least Livable Cities in 2022
By Avery Koop



Ranked: The Most and Least Livable Cities in 2022

Pandemic restrictions changed the livability of many urban centers worldwide as cultural sites were shuttered, restaurant dining was restricted, and local economies faced the consequences. But as cities worldwide return to the status quo, many of these urban centers have become desirable places to live yet again.



This map uses annual rankings from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) to show the world’s most livable cities, measuring different categories including: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.
A Quick Note on Methodology

The ranking attempts to assess which cities across the globe provide the best living conditions, by assigning a score on 30 quantitative and qualitative measures across the five categories with the following weightings:Healthcare (20%)
Culture & Environment (25%)
Stability (25%)
Education (10%)
Infrastructure (20%)

Of the 30 factors within these categories, the qualitative ones are assigned as acceptable, tolerable, uncomfortable, undesirable, or intolerable by a team of expert analysts. Quantitative measures are given a score based on a number of external data points. Everything is then weighted to provide a score between 1-100, with 100 being the ideal.
Ranked: The 10 Most Livable Cities

Of the 172 cities included in the rankings, many of the most livable cities can be found in Europe. However, three of the top 10 are located in Canada: Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto.

Vienna has been ranked number one many times, most recently in 2019. According to the EIU, the Austrian capital only fell out of the top slot during the pandemic years because its famous museums and restaurants were shuttered.
RankCityCountryScore#1 Vienna  Austria 99.1
#2 Copenhagen  Denmark 98.0
#3 Zurich  Switzerland 96.3
#3 Calgary  Canada 96.3
#5 Vancouver  Canada 96.1
#6 Geneva  Switzerland 95.9
#7 Frankfurt  Germany 95.7
#8 Toronto  Canada 95.4
#9 Amsterdam  Netherlands 95.3
#10 Osaka  Japan 95.1
#10 Melbourne  Australia 95.1


Only one Asian city, Osaka, makes the top 10 list, tying with Melbourne for 10th place. Notably, not a single U.S. city is found in the top ranks.

Editor’s note: Two cities tie for both the #3 and #10 ranks, meaning that the “top 10” list actually includes 12 cities.
Ranked: The 10 Least Livable Cities

Some of the least livable cities in the world are located across Africa and Central Asia.
RankCityCountryScore#163 Tehran  Iran 44.0
#164 Douala  Cameroon 43.3
#165 Harare  Zimbabwe 40.9
#166 Dhaka Bangladesh 39.2
#167 Port Moresby  Papua New Guinea 38.8
#168 Karachi Pakistan 37.5
#169 Algiers  Algeria 37.0
#170 Tripoli  Libya 34.2
#171 Lagos  Nigeria 32.2
#172 Damascus  Syria 30.7


Many of the least livable cities are within conflict zones, contributing to the low ratings. However, these regions are also home to some of the world’s fastest growing cities, presenting many opportunities for ambitious residents. www.fotavgeia.blogspot.com