The world’s most liveable cities in 2024 – A spotlight on 2 Australian cities

The world’s most liveable cities have been revealed for 2024, with two Australian cities making the top 10.

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has released its Global Liveability Index 2024  - which ranked Melbourne in 4th place (down from 3rd place in 2023) and Sydney in 7th place (down from 4th place last year).

The EIU has developed a comprehensive formula to help companies determine hardship allowances when relocating their staff.

Their annual survey rates 173 cities across five key categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.

These categories collectively shape the livability of each city.

Top Cities in 2024

Vienna has once again secured the top spot in 2024, marking its third consecutive year as the world's most livable city.

The Austrian capital achieved perfect scores in four of the five categories.

However, a lack of major sporting events slightly impacted its score in the culture and environment category, bringing it to 93.5 out of 100.

Despite this, Vienna continues to excel in various forms of culture.

Other notable cities in the top five include Copenhagen, Zurich, and Geneva. These European cities are distinguished by their modest population sizes, which often correlate with lower crime rates and less crowded transport systems.

Two Canadian cities, Calgary and Vancouver, also made the top ten, alongside four cities in the Asia-Pacific region: Melbourne, Sydney, Osaka, and Auckland.

Most liveable cities in 2024

Source: Economist.com

Least liveable cities in 2024

Source: Economist.com

Australian Cities in the Top Ten

Melbourne and Sydney continue to represent Australia proudly in the top ten.

Melbourne is renowned for its vibrant arts scene, diverse culinary offerings, and excellent public transport system.

Sydney, with its iconic landmarks and beautiful harbour, also scores highly across the categories, particularly in healthcare and education.

Cities Struggling with Livability

At the other end of the spectrum, Damascus remains the least livable city, holding this position since 2013 with a score of just 30.7 in 2024.

Its stability score of 20 is tied with Karachi, the lowest among all cities surveyed.

Kyiv also struggles in the stability category, keeping it in the bottom ten for the second year in a row.

Tel Aviv experienced significant drops in its infrastructure and culture scores due to ongoing conflicts, causing it to fall 20 places to 112th.

Global Trends and Challenges

After the sharp fluctuations during the COVID-19 pandemic, the global average livability score saw a modest increase of 0.06 points in the past year, compared to a 2.84-point rise in the year leading up to June 2023.

Civil unrest in Europe, such as the farmer protests in France and immigration policy protests, have impacted scores.

Additionally, riots in Nouméa, New Caledonia, and campus protests in the United States could influence next year's rankings.

The cost-of-living crisis remains a significant concern.

Although inflation is decreasing in many countries, its lingering effects, especially on housing costs, are still felt. This has particularly affected infrastructure scores in Australia and Canada.

While urban living quality is at its highest in over a decade, the benefits are not evenly distributed.

Conclusion

As we navigate the challenges and changes in global liveability, cities like Melbourne and Sydney continue to demonstrate resilience and excellence.

The fact that they will remain a major destination for migrants will obviously underpin their local property markets.

About Michael Yardney Michael is the founder of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He's once again been voted Australia's leading property investment adviser and one of Australia's 50 most influential Thought Leaders. His opinions are regularly featured in the media.