Vancouver ranks as the fifth most livable city in the world

Vancouver has earned yet another spot in the global rankings as one of the most livable cities in the world.

This year, Vancouver secured a spot in the Global Livability Index 2022 as the fifth most livable city out of 173 cities that were ranked.

The Global Livability Index 2022 by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) quantifies the challenges presented to an individual’s lifestyle across 173 cities in the world.

Vancouver received an index of 96.1 out of 100.0 – the fourth highest index on the list but other factors went into the final ranking.

To compile its list, the EIU assigned each city a rating for relative comfort for over 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories – stability, healthcare, education, infrastructure and culture and environment. Each factor was rated as acceptable, tolerable, uncomfortable, undesirable or intolerable.

Vancouver was given a rating of 90.0 for stability, 100.0 for healthcare, 100.0 for education, 92.9 for infrastructure and 100.0 for culture and environment.

Western European and Canadian cities, including Vancouver, dominated the top of the Global Livability Index rankings.

The full list of the top 10 cities in the Global Livability Index includes:

1. Vienna
2. Copenhagen
3. Zurich
4. Calgary
5. Vancouver
6. Geneva
7. Frankfurt
8. Toronto
9. Amsterdam
10. Osaka

Vienna once again secured the top spot since its streak in 2018 and 2019, after it slipped to 12th place in early 2021. Copenhagen and Zurich follow closely behind.

In the past two years, the EIU’s global livability rankings were largely driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, with lockdowns and social distancing measures affecting scores for culture, education and healthcare in cities across the world.

The EIU revealed that the top 10 cities were among those with few COVID-19 restrictions where shops, restaurants, schools and museums have reopened. These countries reported declining pandemic-led hospitalization, leading to less stress on healthcare resources and services.

Cities that were previously top of the rankings before the pandemic have also rebounded thanks to their stability, good infrastructure and services, as well as enjoyable leisure activities.

And as the world continues to overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s rankings show that the index has normalized as restrictions have been, and continue to be, lifted in many countries across the globe.

However, the impact of the pandemic is still incorporated into the overall livability score with the introduction of new indicators to assess the stress and restriction levels for each city, including stress on healthcare resources and restrictions on local sporting events, theatres, concerts, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, educational institutions and more.

The EIU offers deep insights and analyses of the economic and political developments in the increasingly global environment, and identifies opportunities, trends and risks on a global and national scale.

To read the full Global Livability Index 2022, visit www.eiu.com/n/campaigns/global-liveability-index-2022.