When it comes to the most liveable cities in the world, no country can top Canada.
Once again, three Canadian cities have claimed Top 10 honours on Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) 2023 Global Liveability Index — more than any other country on the list.
Vienna, Austria held onto its top spot in the 2023 ranking and its success is attributed to a “winning combination” of good culture and entertainment, reliable infrastructure, stability and excellent education and health care sectors.
However, two Australian cities, Sydney and Melbourne, jumped into the Top 5, bumping Calgary out of its #3 ranking last year. Alberta’s largest city slid down to seventh place this year, tied with Zurich, Switzerland, and is now sandwiched between Vancouver (#5) and Toronto (#9).
An undated photo of Calgary’s skyline with fireworks.
Getty Images
Calgary’s dip can likely be attributed to what the EIU calls “a return to order” following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year saw Australian cities take a big tumble in the rankings after a particularly infectious strain of COVID seized the island continent.
“They have seen their scores in the health care category improve since last year, when they were still affected by Covid waves that stressed their healthcare systems,” said the research firm.
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However, Canada was the only country in the world to have three of its cities crack the Top 10. Australia and Switzerland were the only other countries to post more than one city at the top of the pile.
In fact, the overall index has now reached a 15-year high, thanks to pandemic recovery. The average index score is now 76.2 out of 100, up from 73.2 a year ago.
“Education has emerged stronger with children returning to schools alongside a significantly reduced burden on hospitals and healthcare systems,” the report said.
The EIU ranked 173 cities on more than 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories: stability, health care, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Access to health care, amount of green space, cultural and sports activities, crime rates and infrastructure are some of the factors considered in the rankings.
Top 10 Cities
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1. Vienna, Austria
2. Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Melbourne, Australia
4. Sydney, Australia
5. Vancouver, Canada
6. Zurich, Switzerland
7. Calgary, Canada
7. Geneva, Switzerland
9. Toronto, Canada
10. Osaka, Japan
10. Auckland, New Zealand
Other big comebacks and slips
“The removal of COVID-related restrictions has overall boded well for global liveability in 2023,” Upasana Dutt, Head of Liveability Index at EIU, said in a statement.
The easing and removal of pandemic restrictions in Asian-Pacific cities — many of which faced harsh lockdowns in pursuit of a zero-COVID strategy — meant big jumps in liveability scores.
Eight of the top 10 climbs on the overall index were Asian cities, including Hong Kong, which moved up 13 places since last year, to rank the 61st most liveable in the world.
Residents line up to get tested for the coronavirus at a temporary testing center for COVID-19, in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022.
Kin Cheung / The Associated Press
New Zealand’s Wellington rose 35 spots to take 23rd place, while Auckland rose 25 places to land at number 10. Hanoi, Vietnam moved up 20 places to 129.
Of the top 10 biggest drops in rankings, three come from cities in the U.K. — Edinburgh, Manchester and London — and two in the U.S.: Los Angeles and San Diego.
A decline in stability
And while scores were up, overall, in almost every category, EIU said that stability has suffered a “marginal” decline due to “instances of civil unrest in many cities amid a cost-of-living crisis, as well as an uptick in crime in some cities.”
“Strains on public order and economic headwinds have also increased instances of crime in some cities, and this will continue to be a risk for the future,” said Barsali Bhattacharyya, Industry Research Manager with EIU.
“All of this suggests that stability scores in our Liveability Index are unlikely to recover quickly.”
Little change in least liveability
The bottom of the list saw few changes this year, featuring cities facing civil unrest, war and conflict.
People take cover at a metro station during a Russian rocket attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, May 29, 2023.
Evgeniy Maloletka / The Associated Press
Ukrainian city Kyiv returned to the list this year, after being excluded last year due to Russia’s invasion. It is now in the bottom 10.
“The war in Ukraine and the resulting economic and political disruption are affecting liveability in many European cities,” reads the report.
“Unsurprisingly, this is most noticeable in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, which re-joins the survey this year.”
Algeria’s Algiers, Libya’s Tripoli and Syria’s Damascus were ranked the three least liveable cities in the world.
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
