According to the annual classification Liveability Index 2025 established by The EconomistCopenhagen is now the most pleasant city to live in the world. The Danish capital obtained a score of 98 out of 100, in particular thanks to perfect results in terms of education, security and infrastructure.
The ranking is based on five major criteria: safety, health care, culture and the environment, education and infrastructure. A total of 173 cities around the world were screened.
Vienna, first for three consecutive years, was relegated to second place. Two attacks thwarted in 2025 – one in a station, the other during a concert by the American singer Taylor Swift – weighed in the balance.
The Swiss city of Zurich ends equally with Vienna, thus occupying the third step of the podium. Geneva, also in Switzerland, appears in fifth position.
Vancouver, Osaka, Auckland, as well as Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide complete the top 10. Brussels, formerly 35th, remains absent from the first places.
In other Western metropolises, the trend is down: “Manchester, London and Rotterdam have lost nine places, Amsterdam Six, edinburgh five and Lisbon four”note the report. Recoils linked, among other things, to safety and infrastructure challenges.
At the bottom of the ranking, the Syrian capital Damascus remains the least pleasant city to live for the tenth consecutive year.
