Opinion

Ranking reveals the ten best cities to live in 2022

June 24, 2022
6:11 PM

Considering a big change this year? You might want to think about Canada or in Western Europe .

The annual ranking of the most livable cities in the world has just been released by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) it’s the Global Liveability Index 2022 shows some marked differences from the previous year.

The EIU, which is a sister organization to The Economist, ranked 173 cities around the world on a variety of factors, including health care, crime rates, political stability, infrastructure, and access to green spaces.

big winners

Overall, Europe dominated the list, with six positions in the top 11 (there was a tie for 10th). Copenhagen, that the CNN declared the cool capital of Europe in December 2021, ranked second in the Global Liveability Index.

Switzerland was the only European country to have two entries in the top 10, with Geneva in sixth place and Zurich in third.

However, the overall winning country was Canada, which had three of its cities represented – Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto.

“Cities that were at the top of our rankings before the pandemic have recovered with their stability, good infrastructure and services, and enjoyable leisure activities,” the index authors wrote.

large dropper

Last year’s winner, Auckland, New Zealand, dropped out of the top 10 in 2022 to a surprising 34th place.

Neighboring Australia had the most notable drop in the rankings this year. Despite having topped the list in the past, Melbourne dropped to 10th place in 2022.

In 2021, Australia dominated the EIU index, with Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth joining Melbourne in the top 10. This year they rank 27th, 30th and 32nd respectively.

Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, ranked fourth in 2021 but also dropped out of the top 10 this year.

Although Europe had a very good showing in 2022, it is missing two destinations – London and Paris. Rising living expenses played a role in both metropolises, as did the UK’s decision to leave the European Union.

Ongoing global conflict was the number one factor in determining which countries made the bottom of the list. Damascus, Lagos and Tripoli were ranked as the three least livable cities in the world.

Meanwhile, Kiev was not reviewed this year due to the ongoing war in Ukraine .

Habitability versus cost of living

Earlier this month, global mobility company ECA International released its list of the most expensive cities in the world to live in, with a focus on expats.

Hong Kong had the dubious honor of taking first place, with New York, Geneva, London and Tokyo rounding out the top five.

The only city to appear in the ECA and EIU indices was Geneva.

The ranking of the most expensive cities was determined solely by economic factors – average rent, gas price, and the like – as opposed to the EIU’s list, which looks at a city’s cultural attractions, such as museums and shows, as well as infrastructure, such as public transport. . .