Osaka Ranks 7th, Beating Tokyo in 2025 Liveability Index
Danish capital Copenhagen knocked Austria’s Vienna off the top of The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) 2025 Liveability Index, while Japan’s best places to reside are Osaka in 7th, the only Asian city in the top ten, and Tokyo at 13th. Copenhagen scored perfect for stability, education and infrastructure while Vienna beat them on healthcare. Vienna dropped due to terrorism threats, joining Zurich in second place.
The EIU scored 173 cities on 30 indicators in five categories of stability, healthcare, culture & environment, education and infrastructure to show how they serve residents. Liveability means which places provide the best—and worst—conditions and is used primarily for bragging rights and considering hardship allowances to expats.
“As always, Asia-Pacific has the widest range of scores. Its most liveable city, Melbourne (Australia), came fourth in the rankings this year, while its least liveable, Dhaka (Bangladesh), came 171st (down three places following the political upheaval in the country in 2024).”
Healthcare, education and infrastructure scored small improvements on average across all cities.
Jumping 13 places, the most improved city is Al Khobar (Saudi Arabia), with healthcare and education rising sharply. Calgary (Canada) fell from fifth place to 18th with Manchester, London and Edinburgh also among the biggest fallers thanks to terrorism. Damascus (Syria) is still the least liveable, with Tripoli (Libya) one place above. “Despite last year’s regime change, Syria’s capital city continues to be scarred by years of civil war and has seen no improvement in liveability.”
Top 10 Best Cities to Live in 2025, According to The Economist
“Cities in western Europe and developed countries in Asia-Pacific continue to dominate the top end of the rankings in this year’s survey (conducted between April 14th and May 11th),” the report said. “The average score for liveability across the 173 cities in the index stands at 76.1 out of 100, the same as in 2024. However, scores in the stability category have continued to fall amid geopolitical tensions, civil unrest and widespread housing crises. In several west European cities, terrorist attacks and threats, as well as a rising incidence of crime and xenophobia, continue to undermine stability. In Tehran (Iran), and cities in Taiwan and India, stability scores have dropped as the threat of military conflict has intensified.”
- Copenhagen
- Vienna
- Zurich
- Melbourne
- Geneva
- Sydney
- Osaka
- Auckland
- Adelaide
- Vancouver
Bottom-Ranked Cities in 2025 Global Liveability Index
The bottom is largely filled by the Middle East and Africa.
- Caracas
- Kyiv
- Port Moresby
- Harare
- Lagos
- Algiers
- Karachi
- Dhaka
- Tripoli
- Damascus
Top Gainers in 2025 Global Liveability Rankings
“Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia has seen the biggest improvement since last year. The Kingdom is investing heavily in improving access to healthcare and education under Vision 2030, a far-reaching economic diversification programme intended to reduce the country’s reliance on oil. Jakarta in Indonesia has also seen a substantial improvement in liveability based on its improved stability score.
This reflects incremental progress made by the country’s security forces in reducing its vulnerability to terrorism. Anti-government student protests in March 2025 posed risks to stability, but they have since calmed. However, recent floods sounded a warning about the long-term climate risks to the low-lying city.”
- Al Khobar
- Jakarta
- Bangkok
- Chiang Mai
- Athens
- Hong Kong
- Luxembourg
- Abu Dhabi
- Montreal
- Miami
- Portland
- Milan
- Indianapolis
- Charlotte
- Dubai
- Surabaya
- Jeddah
- Abidjan
- Rio de Janeiro
2025’s Biggest Declines in Global Liveability Rankings
- Calgary
- Nouméa
- Manchester
- Rotterdam
- London
- Amsterdam
- Edinburgh
- Taichung
- Toronto
- Lisbon
Frequently Asked Questions
Osaka ranks as the most liveable city in Japan, placing 7th globally in The Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2025 Global Liveability Index. It outranks Tokyo and is the only Asian city in the global top 10.
Tokyo ranked 13th, falling outside the top 10 due to lower stability and infrastructure scores compared to Osaka. Despite its global prominence, Tokyo faces urban crowding and environmental challenges.
Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia is the most improved city, jumping 13 places thanks to gains in healthcare and education. Jakarta, Bangkok and Chiang Mai also saw significant improvements in their liveability scores.
Cities are evaluated on 30 indicators across five key categories:
– Stability
– Healthcare
– Culture & Environment
– Education
– Infrastructure
The bottom of the list is dominated by cities in the Middle East and Africa. The least liveable cities include:
– Damascus, Syria (173rd)
– Tripoli, Libya
– Dhaka, Bangladesh
– Karachi, Pakistan