Melbourne is still the fourth most liveable city in the world, and the most liveable city in Australia, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index for 2025. Sydney also made it to the top ten, coming it at number six. Meanwhile, Adelaide also made an appearance, and was ranked in ninth place.
Last year, Melbourne was also named the fourth most liveable city in the world, while Sydney was a bit lower at number seven.
Vienna, which had claimed the top spot for three years in a row, fell to second place in the rankings due to a drop in its stability score. Its score dropped due to a bomb threat that cancelled a Taylor Swift concert in 2024, as well as the discovery of a planned attack on a train station in 2025.
Top Ten Most Liveable Cities for 2025
1. Copenhagen, Denmark
2. Vienna, Austria
=2. Zurich, Switzerland
4. Melbourne, Australia
5. Geneva, Swizterland
6. Sydney, Australia
7. Osaka, Japan
=7. Auckland, New Zealand
9. Adelaide, Australia
10. Vancouver, Canada
Global Liveability Index 2025
The Index, which ranks 173 cities around the world, takes into account more than 30 qualitative and quantitative factors spanning five categories: stability (25%), healthcare (20%), culture and environment (25%), education (10%), and infrastructure (20%).
The average liveability score across the cities was exactly the same as last year, at 76.1 out of 100. Melbourne received the same numbers as last year, with a score of 100 for healthcare and education. For infrastructure, we received a score of 96.4. Culture and environment was rated at 95.8, and stability was scored at 95.
Sydney also received a score of 100 for healthcare and education, and 96.4 for infrastructure. It also received a score of 95 for stability. The only difference was in culture and environment, which received a score of 94.4.
Finally, Adelaide also received a score of 100 for healthcare and education, and 96.4 for infrastructure. Like the other Australian cities, stability received a score of 95. As for culture and environment, it received a score of 91.4.
Overall, western European cities moved down the ranks this year, largely due to a rise in geopolitical tensions, civil unrest and housing issues. Meanwhile, scores for healthcare, education and infrastructure saw marginal improvements on average across all cities on the list.
Learn more about the report here.
