most liveable cities in the world, no country can top Canada.Once again, three Canadian cities have claimed Top 10 honours on Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) 2023 Global Liveability Index — more than any other country on the list.Vienna, Austria held onto its top spot in the 2023 ranking and its success is attributed to a “winning combination” of good culture and entertainment, reliable infrastructure, stability and excellent education and health care sectors.However, two Australian cities, Sydney and Melbourne, jumped into the Top 5, bumping Calgary out of its #3 ranking last year.
Alberta’s largest city slid down to seventh place this year, tied with Zurich, Switzerland, and is now sandwiched between Vancouver (#5) and Toronto (#9).Calgary’s dip can likely be attributed to what the EIU calls “a return to order” following the COVID-19 pandemic.Last year saw Australian cities take a big tumble in the rankings after a particularly infectious strain of COVID seized the island continent.“They have seen their scores in the health care category improve since last year, when they were still affected by Covid waves that stressed their healthcare systems,” said the research firm.However, Canada was the only country in the world to have three of its cities crack the Top 10.
Australia and Switzerland were the only other countries to post more than one city at the top of the pile.In fact, the overall index has now reached a 15-year high, thanks to pandemic recovery.
The average index score is now 76.2 out of 100, up from 73.2 a year ago.“Education has emerged stronger with children returning to schools alongside a significantly reduced burden on hospitals and healthcare systems,” the report said.The EIU ranked 173 cities on.