Vancouver, British Columbia has been named one of the world’s ten most livable cities by 2026. Global Liveability Index published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
It is the only North American city to be ranked among the EIU’s top 10 cities for the second year in a row.
Subscribe to our immigration newsletter
Be the first to know
2026 EIU edition Global Liveability Index was released on July 7 and assessed 173 cities worldwide.
The EIU’s annual quality of life rankings are based on each city’s performance in five categories, taking into account factors such as stability, health care and education.
Top 10 most livable cities
Among the 10 most livable cities in the world, Europe has the largest share (four), with the rest located in Oceania, Asia and North America.
The cities making the top 10 list this year largely mirror those of 2025, although this year we see Tokyo (Japan) included and Auckland (New Zealand) excluded.
The table below provides the full ranking of the 10 most livable cities in 2026:
In contrast, the EIU rankings say that countries in the bottom 10 are “almost all affected by war or poverty,” including Tehran (Iran), Kyiv (Ukraine), Karachi (Pakistan) and Tripoli (Libya). Damascus (Syria) took last place.
Vancouver’s Situation at a Glance
Compared to 2025, Vancouver – the only Canadian city to take part in this year’s ranking – moved up a notch, rising from 10th place to ninth.
Vancouver’s overall livability rating increased from 95.8 in 2025 to 96 in 2026, with some category-specific scores also changing:
- Healthcare: increased from 95.8 to 96.
- Culture and environment: decreased from 97.2 to 97.
- Infrastructure: increased from 92.9 to 93.
It continues to maintain its top score (100/100) for education and beats Copenhagen for culture and environment (despite a slight decline in scores in this category).
While Vancouver rose in the rankings this year, it still fell below seventh place in 2024, behind Calgary, Alberta, which ranked fifth that year.
Looking even further back, Vancouver held the top spot firmly for about a decade from 2002 to 2010 before gradually slipping down the rankings, although usually still remaining in the top ten.
Ranking methodology
The EIU assessed 173 cities around the world using 30 different indicators, which were grouped equally into five categories.
The scores were weighted within each category to produce a category score ranging from one (unbearable) to 100 (perfect). The category scores were then weighted into an overall livability score out of 100, with the final scores grouped as acceptable, tolerable, uncomfortable, undesirable or intolerable.
Below are the five categories and their total weights, as well as the metrics grouped into each category.
- Stability (25%): Presence of petty and violent crime, threat of terror, military conflict and civil unrest/conflict.
- Healthcare (20%): Access to and quality of private and public health care, availability of over-the-counter drugs, and general health care indicators adapted from the World Bank.
- Culture and environment (25%): Humidity/temperature ratings, climate discomfort for travelers, level of corruption and censorship, social or religious restrictions, availability of sports and cultural activities, food and drink, and consumer goods and services.
- Education (10%): Availability and quality of private education, and public education indicators adapted from the World Bank.
- Infrastructure (20%): Quality of road networks, public transport, international connections, energy and water supplies, telecommunications, as well as the availability of quality housing.
Subscribe to our immigration newsletter
Be the first to know