The world’s most liveable cities in 2025

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Economist or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Copenhagen has dethroned Vienna as the world’s most liveable city in the 2025 Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Global Liveability Index
• With perfect scores for stability, education, and infrastructure, Copenhagen now leads a Europe-dominated top ten, while the global average liveability score remains unchanged at 76.1 due to persistent instability 

🔭 The context: The EIU ranks 173 cities across five categories: stability (25%), healthcare (20%), culture and environment (25%), education (10%), and infrastructure (20%)
• Vienna held the top position for three consecutive years but fell to joint second with Zurich after its stability score was dented by terrorism threats and bomb scares

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: City liveability intersects directly with resilience to crises — whether security threats, public health, or climate stresses
• Copenhagen’s success underscores the value of investing in stable institutions, infrastructure, and education that also support sustainable urban environments
• Conversely, global unrest undermines quality of life even in otherwise high-performing cities

⏭️ What's next: Expect focus on boosting stability through improved policing, warning systems, and crisis preparedness in top urban centres
• Emerging and mid-ranked cities may concentrate on softening the blow of geopolitical tensions while leveraging gains in healthcare, education, and green infrastructure to climb the rankings

💬 One quote: “As in 2024, stability scores have declined for western Europe and the Middle East and North Africa,” notes EIU industry director Barsali Bhattacharyya

📈 One stat: Copenhagen scored a near-perfect 98.0 out of 100, securing a clean sweep in stability, education, and infrastructure

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