Vienna loses space to Copenhagen: What makes a city worth living in?

Vienna loses space to Copenhagen: What makes a city worth living in?

Vienna has lost the title of the most livable city in the world and now has to rank behind Copenhagen. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Global Liveability Index 2025, Copenhagen, which had previously taken first place three times in a row, has regained the top position. This means that Vienna and Copenhagen are now tied with Zurich. These findings were published in a recent ranking of 173 cities worldwide. Other cities in the ranking include Melbourne, Geneva, Sydney, Osaka, Auckland, Adelaide and Vancouver.

The EIU index assesses a total of 30 indicators that are crucial to quality of life, including healthcare, culture, environment, education and infrastructure. Copenhagen received a full 100 points in the areas of stability, education and infrastructure. On the other hand, it shows that Kiev ranks 165th, while the last places in the ranking are distributed to cities such as Damascus, Tripoli and Dhaka, which are struggling with serious challenges.

Vienna compared to other cities

While Vienna has often been celebrated as the “most livable city” in the past, the current ranking brings a significant change. However, there is a silver lining: Even though Copenhagen has taken the lead, Vienna remains among the top cities. Vienna is now in second place together with Zurich, which shows that both the Austrian and Swiss capitals achieve high quality of life scores. According to Spiegel, Vienna's loss of first place is disappointing, but the city can still score points with its high quality of life.

In comparison, German cities such as Frankfurt am Main, Munich and Düsseldorf also have good rankings, but are not represented near the top spots. The full list also shows that Hamburg, Berlin and Stuttgart are found in the top 25, which represents the overall quality of life in Germany well, but also shows a decline, particularly in Munich and Hamburg, which have declined in recent years.

The influence of quality of life and sustainability

The analysis makes it clear that the quality of life is increasingly determined by factors such as sustainability and social balance. Copenhagen scores not only for its quality of life, but also for innovative urban development and a sustainable perspective on real estate that focuses on energy efficiency. On the other hand, US cities are not in the top 25 due to social inequality and high healthcare costs. These trends in the ranking system show that political stability, public infrastructure and environmental quality are crucial to the quality of life of cities worldwide.

Given the changes in the ranking, it will be exciting to see how Vienna and other cities develop in the future. One thing is certain: the competition for the title of most livable city remains exciting and challenging.