{"id":23844,"date":"2026-07-07T17:04:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T14:04:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/?p=23844"},"modified":"2026-07-07T17:04:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T14:04:20","slug":"naikomfortnishi-mista-svitu-2026-reitynh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/analitika\/naikomfortnishi-mista-svitu-2026-reitynh\/","title":{"rendered":"The world\u2019s most liveable cities in 2026: who tops the ranking?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-path-to-node=\"2\">Kyiv, 7 July (Ukrmedia) \u2014 The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has published its annual Global Liveability Index for 2026. This year\u2019s ranking has revealed tectonic shifts on the global map of attractiveness for expats: the established European leaders are consolidating their positions, China is making rapid strides in healthcare, whilst the Middle East is experiencing an unprecedented decline due to security crises.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"3\">The ranking assesses 173 of the world\u2019s major cities across five key categories: <b data-path-to-node=\"3\" data-index-in-node=\"70\">healthcare, culture and the environment, education, infrastructure and stability<\/b>. The main aim of the index is to help HR departments in multinational corporations calculate remuneration for overseas staff working in challenging conditions.<\/p>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"5\">Europe\u2019s triumph and the trap of \u00abmegacities\u00bb<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"6\">For the second year running, the global leader in quality of life is <b data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"65\">Copenhagen<\/b>. The Danish capital has struck a perfect balance between a high level of social stability, well-developed infrastructure and environmental sustainability. Vienna and Melbourne are hot on its heels.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"7\">It is interesting to note that large metropolises are traditionally \u00abpenalised\u00bb by the index\u2019s criteria. Due to chronic traffic congestion, high crime rates and overcrowding, these global giants find themselves outside the top ranks. <a href=\"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/world\/nimechchyna-proponuie-iaponii-viiskovyi-soiuz\/\">Tokyo<\/a> (10th place) was the only megacity in the top ten, whilst Vancouver (9th place) was the only city from the whole of North America to make it into the top ten.<\/p>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"8\">The top 10 most liveable cities in the world in 2026:<\/h3>\n<ol start=\"1\" data-path-to-node=\"9\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"9,0,0\">\ud83c\udde9\ud83c\uddf0 Copenhagen (Denmark)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"9,1,0\">\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddf9 Vienna (Austria)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"9,2,0\">\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa Melbourne (Australia)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"9,3,0\"><i data-path-to-node=\"9,3,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">(Places 4 to 8 \u2014 European and Australian cities with high scores)<\/i><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"9,4,0\">\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6 Vancouver (Canada)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"9,5,0\">\ud83c\uddef\ud83c\uddf5 Tokyo (Japan)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"11\">The Middle East: from a paradise for expats to a high-risk area<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"12\">The biggest disappointment of the year was <a href=\"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/world\/uae-saudi-arabia-qatar-pidtrymaly-perehovory-z-iranom\/\">the Persian Gulf region<\/a>. Until recently, cities such as Dubai offered foreigners everything: from luxurious, air-conditioned shopping and entertainment centres and excellent schools to zero taxes and absolute safety. However, the outbreak of the war involving Iran and the sharp deterioration in the security situation instantly negated these advantages.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"13\">No other region in the world has suffered such a devastating blow to its quality of life as the Middle East. Due to a series of air strikes and geopolitical instability, cities are rapidly losing ground. The situation is worst in Damascus (Syria) \u2014 the capital, ravaged by years of war, has consistently ranked last since 2013. Tehran (Iran) has dropped a further two places this year and now sits at the bottom of the list.<\/p>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"14\">Table: Biggest drops in the rankings (Middle East)<\/h3>\n<table data-path-to-node=\"15\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>City.<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Country.<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Current location<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Loss of ground (trends)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>The main reason<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,1,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"15,1,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Muscat<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,1,1,0\">Oman<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,1,2,0\">123<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,1,3,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"15,1,3,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">-14<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,1,4,0\">Iranian drone strikes, a threat to security<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,2,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"15,2,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Doha<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,2,1,0\">Qatar<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,2,2,0\">108<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,2,3,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"15,2,3,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">-7<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,2,4,0\">General destabilisation of the region<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,3,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"15,3,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Dubai<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,3,1,0\">UAE<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,3,2,0\">79<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,3,3,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"15,3,3,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">-4<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,3,4,0\">Increasing military risks for expats<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,4,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"15,4,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Abu Dhabi<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,4,1,0\">UAE<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,4,2,0\">76<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,4,3,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"15,4,3,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">-4<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"15,4,4,0\">Security risks, reduced stability<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"17\">A Chinese medical breakthrough against total control<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"18\">The main driver of positive change in 2026 was <a href=\"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/science-tech\/kitaj-rekord-shvidkosti-internetu\/\">China<\/a>. Thanks to massive government investment, absolutely every Chinese city featured in the index has significantly improved its score in the \u00abHealthcare\u00bb category.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"19\"><b data-path-to-node=\"19\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Key achievements of the People\u2019s Republic of China:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul data-path-to-node=\"20\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"20,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"20,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Comprehensive medical cover:<\/b> A significant expansion of the range of free and subsidised healthcare services available to the public.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"20,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"20,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">The \u00ab15-minute accessibility\u00bb concept:<\/b> The government programme has almost achieved its goal \u2014 every city resident now has a healthcare facility (a clinic or hospital) within a 15-minute walk of their home.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"20,2,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"20,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Consumption infrastructure:<\/b> Modern Chinese shopping centres are now every bit as good as Dubai\u2019s legendary shopping centres.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"21,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"21,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Analytical commentary by Ukrmedia:<\/b> Despite obvious progress in infrastructure and healthcare, China\u2019s cities are unlikely to attract a mass influx of Western professionals seeking low taxes. The country\u2019s ranking is severely hampered by a pervasive culture of digital surveillance, strict social control and chronic environmental problems. Furthermore, China remains among the lowest-ranked countries in the EIU Democracy Index.<\/p>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"23\">Trend analysis: a comparison of viability poles<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"24\">If we were to visualise the \u2018comfort curve\u2019 for 2026, we would see a clear pattern: stability and security carry more weight than infrastructural luxury.<\/p>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"1\">Classification of cities by level of comfort and stability in 2026<\/h3>\n<table data-path-to-node=\"2\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Level of comfort<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Cities \/ Regions<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Key factors contributing to competitive advantage<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Main constraints \/ Risks<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,1,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"2,1,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">\ud83d\udfe2 High<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,1,1,0\">Copenhagen, Vienna, Melbourne, Vancouver<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,1,2,0\">Maximum stability, exemplary environmental standards, a high level of civil liberties and a well-developed infrastructure.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,1,3,0\">The traditional problems of large cities (traffic congestion, the cost of housing) have been avoided thanks to sound urban planning.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,2,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"2,2,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">\ud83d\udfe1 Medium<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,2,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"2,2,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Cities in China<\/b> (Beijing, Shanghai, etc.)<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,2,2,0\">A rapid breakthrough in medicine (the \u201815-minute accessibility\u2019 concept), and massive investment in infrastructure.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,2,3,0\">Total digital surveillance, low scores on the democracy index, environmental problems.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,3,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"2,3,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">\ud83d\udfe1 Medium<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,3,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"2,3,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Cities of the Persian Gulf<\/b> (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha)<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,3,2,0\">State-of-the-art infrastructure, low taxes, high standards of private education, and a comfortable lifestyle for expats.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,3,3,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"2,3,3,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">A sharp rise in military risks<\/b> due to geopolitical instability in the region and the threat of air strikes.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,4,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"2,4,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">\ud83d\udd34 Low<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,4,1,0\">Tehran, Muscat, Damascus<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,4,2,0\"><i data-path-to-node=\"2,4,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Not available<\/i><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,4,3,0\">Areas of active hostilities or in the immediate vicinity of a conflict, destruction of infrastructure, and a constant threat to security.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"26\"><b data-path-to-node=\"26\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Implications for business:<\/b> In 2026, geopolitical risks became the main factor driving the relocation of capital and people. International companies are increasingly choosing the predictable and safe environment of Northern Europe for their employees, foregoing tax incentives in Asia or the Middle East.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u041a\u0438\u0457\u0432, 7 \u043b\u0438\u043f\u043d\u044f (Ukrmedia) \u2014 \u0410\u043d\u0430\u043b\u0456\u0442\u0438\u0447\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u043f\u0456\u0434\u0440\u043e\u0437\u0434\u0456\u043b \u0436\u0443\u0440\u043d\u0430\u043b\u0443 The Economist (EIU) \u043e\u043f\u0440\u0438\u043b\u044e\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0432 \u0441\u0432\u0456\u0439 \u0449\u043e\u0440\u0456\u0447\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u0413\u043b\u043e\u0431\u0430\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u0456\u043d\u0434\u0435\u043a\u0441 \u043a\u043e\u043c\u0444\u043e\u0440\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0456 \u0436\u0438\u0442\u0442\u044f (Global Liveability Index) \u0437\u0430 2026 \u0440\u0456\u043a. \u0426\u044c\u043e\u0433\u043e\u0440\u0456\u0447\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u0440\u0435\u0439\u0442\u0438\u043d\u0433 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0435\u043c\u043e\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0443\u0432\u0430\u0432 \u0442\u0435\u043a\u0442\u043e\u043d\u0456\u0447\u043d\u0456 \u0437\u0441\u0443\u0432\u0438 \u043d\u0430 \u0441\u0432\u0456\u0442\u043e\u0432\u0456\u0439 \u043c\u0430\u043f\u0456 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0431\u043b\u0438\u0432\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0456 \u0434\u043b\u044f \u0435\u043a\u0441\u043f\u0430\u0442\u0456\u0432: \u0441\u0442\u0430\u0431\u0456\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0456 \u0454\u0432\u0440\u043e\u043f\u0435\u0439\u0441\u044c\u043a\u0456 \u043b\u0456\u0434\u0435\u0440\u0438 \u0437\u043c\u0456\u0446\u043d\u044e\u044e\u0442\u044c \u043f\u043e\u0437\u0438\u0446\u0456\u0457, \u041a\u0438\u0442\u0430\u0439 \u0434\u0435\u043c\u043e\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0443\u0454 \u0441\u0442\u0440\u0456\u043c\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u043c\u0435\u0434\u0438\u0447\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0432, \u0442\u043e\u0434\u0456 \u044f\u043a \u0411\u043b\u0438\u0437\u044c\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0421\u0445\u0456\u0434 \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0436\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0454 \u0431\u0435\u0437\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0446\u0435\u0434\u0435\u043d\u0442\u043d\u0435 \u043f\u0430\u0434\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f \u0447\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0437 \u0431\u0435\u0437\u043f\u0435\u043a\u043e\u0432\u0456 \u043a\u0440\u0438\u0437\u0438. [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":207433346,"featured_media":23845,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_description":"Ukrmedia \u043e\u043f\u0440\u0438\u043b\u044e\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0432 \u0440\u0435\u0439\u0442\u0438\u043d\u0433 \u043d\u0430\u0439\u043a\u043e\u043c\u0444\u043e\u0440\u0442\u043d\u0456\u0448\u0438\u0445 \u043c\u0456\u0441\u0442 \u0441\u0432\u0456\u0442\u0443 2026. \u041a\u043e\u043f\u0435\u043d\u0433\u0430\u0433\u0435\u043d \u2014 \u21161, \u041a\u0438\u0442\u0430\u0439 \u0437\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0454, \u0411\u043b\u0438\u0437\u044c\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0421\u0445\u0456\u0434 \u0432\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0447\u0430\u0454 \u043f\u043e\u0437\u0438\u0446\u0456\u0457.","rank_math_title":"\u041d\u0430\u0439\u043a\u043e\u043c\u0444\u043e\u0440\u0442\u043d\u0456\u0448\u0456 \u043c\u0456\u0441\u0442\u0430 \u0441\u0432\u0456\u0442\u0443 2026: \u0440\u0435\u0439\u0442\u0438\u043d\u0433 \u0432\u0456\u0434 Ukrmedia","rank_math_focus_keyword":"\u041d\u0430\u0439\u043a\u043e\u043c\u0444\u043e\u0440\u0442\u043d\u0456\u0448\u0456 \u043c\u0456\u0441\u0442\u0430,\u0440\u0435\u0439\u0442\u0438\u043d\u0433","td_subtitle":"","subtitle":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[806792],"tags":[806793],"class_list":["post-23844","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-analitika","tag-806793"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23844","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/207433346"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23844"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23844\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23846,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23844\/revisions\/23846"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23845"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23844"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23844"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23844"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}