The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has announced the latest 2023 Liveability Index. The overall score has reached a 15-year peak, showing global optimism amidst underlying instability. The uplift in the 2023 survey comes as the world gradually moves past the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as significant improvements in healthcare and education across many Asian and Middle Eastern cities. However, this progress is slightly marred by a dip in stability scores, attributed to instances of civil unrest globally.
| RANK | CITY |
| 1 | Vienna, Austria |
| 2 | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| 3 | Melbourne, Australia |
| 4 | Sydney, Australia |
| 5 | Vancouver, Canada |
| 6 | Zurich, Switzerland |
| 7 | Calgary, Canada |
| 8 | Geneva, Switzerland |
| 9 | Toronto, Canada |
| 10 | Osaka, Japan |
| 10 | Auckland, New Zealand |
Vienna, Austria, with its harmonious blend of stability, cultural richness, dependable infrastructure, and high-quality education and health services, reigns at the top of the 2023 rankings. A familiar leader in liveability, Vienna has consistently held this position over the years, only briefly displaced due to the pandemic.
Denmark’s Copenhagen follows closely, securing the second spot. Notably, Australian cities Melbourne and Sydney have made a striking comeback, ranking third and fourth, respectively, after a significant drop in 2022. This resurgence underscores a return to normalcy post-pandemic.
The index reveals an interesting shift: Asia-Pacific cities have emerged as major climbers, with eight of the top ten movers belonging to this region. Wellington, New Zealand, for instance, has surged by 35 places to rank 23rd. This upward trajectory is largely attributed to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. Hong Kong, with a score of 88.1, moved up 13 spots and now ranks 61st among 172 cities (excluding Kyiv). Notably, Hong Kong was also the 5th most expensive city in the world in 2023.
Conversely, Western European cities have seen a downward trend. Issues such as workers’ strikes and civil unrest have negatively impacted their stability ratings, contrasting with the gains in Asian and Middle Eastern cities.
The bottom of the list remains occupied by cities like Damascus, Syria, and Tripoli, Libya, primarily due to ongoing social unrest and conflict. However, there’s a silver lining as some cities in the lower ranks have seen improvements, partly owing to the pandemic’s receding impact.
Overall, the 2023 Global Liveability Index reveals that healthcare scores have shown the most improvement, followed by smaller gains in education, culture and environment, and infrastructure. Meanwhile, stability is the only area that has experienced a slight decline, reflecting growing perceptions of corruption and civil unrest in many cities amid a cost-of-living crisis, as well as a rise in crime in certain cities.
Header image credit: LeeYiuTung via Canva
The post Hong Kong Now Ranked As The 7th Most Improved City In Liveability appeared first on Hong Kong News Hub.
from
https://hongkongnewshk.com/hong-kong-now-ranked-as-the-7th-most-improved-city-in-liveability/
No comments:
Post a Comment