The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released its 2024 Global Liveability Index (GLI) this Wednesday. This year marks Vienna’s third consecutive year on top as the most livable city in the world. Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Taichung are the three Taiwanese cities included in the ranking.
EIU’s GLI rates 173 cities across five major categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. Each category accounts for 25%, 20%, 25%, 10%, and 20%, respectively.
The top 10 cities of the 173 listed are—in order—Vienna, Copenhagen, Zurich, Melbourne, Calgary, Geneva, Sydney, Vancouver, Osaka, and Auckland. Taipei ranked 66th, Kaohsiung 72nd, and Taichung 74th.
According to the EIU, Western Europe is considered the most livable region in most categories except for education—in which North America has it beat. The lower ranking cities are largely those located in the Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Ukraine’s capital city Kiev ranks ninth from the bottom, sitting at 165th place. The GLI additionally lists Hong Kong as the city that made the most improvement compared to last year.
EIU senior data analyst Akshay Rathi responded to Central News Agency’s request for comments, mentioning that Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Taichung all improved in the health care evaluation category, which is key for Taiwan’s aging population.
