These are the most liveable cities in Europe

Europeans have it pretty good. Their cities, especially in the western half of the continent, are in general splendid places to live. EIU, assesses the “liveability” of cities globally by measuring how they stack up in five categories: culture and environment, education, health care, infrastructure, and stability. European cities consistently top the rankings and continue to do so. The region has more cities in the global top ten than any other region. But the relative ranking of some cities has declined, mainly because living standards in Asia and Australasia have at last recovered from a pandemic slump. Our charts below show which European cities scored the highest, and which are slipping.

The chart-toppers have not changed in the latest index. Vienna retained its place as the world’s most liveable city, scoring 98.4 out of a possible 100 points in EIU’s index. Copenhagen, Zurich and Geneva were unsurprising runners-up. The picturesque cities of Budapest, Prague and Bratislava had the highest scores in eastern Europe. The eastern cities of Bratislava, Bucharest and Warsaw, along with Stuttgart in western Germany, were the European cities whose scores improved most in 2022, mostly thanks to higher standards of health care (see map).

More surprising is that several European cities were among the biggest decliners in global rankings. This has more to do with improvements elsewhere than with problems in Europe. Edinburgh dropped by 23 places in the global pecking order, more than any other city. But its index score declined by less than one point. The rankings of other British cities, including Manchester and London, also declined (see chart). Life in London, which fell by 12 places globally, actually got better. But the scores of non-European cities ranked just below it improved by more.

In a handful of cases, though, European cities have become worse to live in. Stability scores, which track crime and civil unrest, deteriorated in some cities. Riots last year in Stockholm, sparked by plans by a far-right group to burn copies of the Koran, helped push Sweden’s capital down by 22 places in EIU’s rankings, the second-largest fall globally. (Similar events have unfolded this year, too.) Stability scores also fell in Athens, which experienced civil unrest and strikes in protest against high inflation. Instability, in the form of the war waged on Ukraine by Russia, has unsurprisingly left Kyiv at the bottom of the European ranking.

This summer’s forest fires and heatwaves have made parts of southern Europe seem hellish rather than paradisiacal. It’s possible that will affect next year’s liveability scores. But, according to EIU, the continent remains the most liveable part of the world.

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