The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a division of the Economist Group, recently released the Global Livability Index scores for 2023. Notably, three Canadian cities secured positions in the top 10. It affirms Canada’s prominence with the highest representation.
Specifically, Vancouver claimed the fifth spot. Calgary secured the seventh position (tied with Geneva, Switzerland), and Toronto earned the ninth place. All these cities garnered a total livability score above 96 out of 100, according to EIU’s index.
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Compared to the previous year’s rankings, all three cities maintained their positions within the top 10, albeit with some shifts. Calgary experienced the most significant change, dropping from third to eighth place this year. Vancouver retained its fifth position, while Toronto slipped one spot, moving from eighth in 2022 to ninth in 2023.
Explore the list of the top 10 most livable cities this year and delve into the methodology behind EIU’s scoring to gain a comprehensive understanding
The Top 10 Cities with the Highest Livability
Vienna ranked first in the top 10 most livable cities for the year with an impressive overall livability score of 98.4. Close on its heels were Copenhagen and Melbourne.
Notably, the narrow gap of two points in total livability scores between the 10th and 1st-ranked cities highlights the fierce competition within the rankings. Additionally, due to ties for the seventh and tenth spots, there are a total of 11 cities featured in the top 10.
In addition to Canada, Australia, and Switzerland, Canada also made a strong presence in the top 10. Each boasting two cities. Breaking the regional trend, Osaka secured a spot in the rankings. Tying for tenth place with Auckland and standing as the sole representative outside of North America, Europe, and the Australia-New Zealand region on the list.
Toronto
Toronto, Canada’s most populous city, secures the ninth position this year with an overall livability score of 96.5. Despite being only 0.3 points behind Calgary, Toronto’s score breakdown reveals significant differences.
Toronto excelled with perfect scores in three criteria: education (100), healthcare (100), and stability (100), showcasing exceptional performance. However, its infrastructure score was comparatively lower at 89.3. The city also received a score of 94.4 in culture and environment. While Toronto’s lower ranking in infrastructure aligns with Canada’s broader housing challenges, this criterion encompasses various factors. It sheds light on why Calgary and Vancouver (the most expensive city for renters in Canada) did not face similar impacts.
Calgary
While not typically recognized as one of Canada’s primary destinations for newcomers alongside Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, Calgary has consistently excelled in livability assessments. It maintains its top 10 standing from the 2022 report, securing an impressive score of 96.8.
Calgary achieved perfect scores in stability (100), healthcare (100), education (100), and infrastructure (100). However, comparatively lower performance in culture and environment (87.3) slightly diminished the overall livability score. These results underscore Calgary’s potential to emerge as Canada’s most livable city. Uniquely positioned as the sole city within the top 10—aside from the leader, Vienna—to attain perfect scores of 100 in multiple ranking criteria.
Vancouver
Securing the top spot in Canada and claiming the fifth position globally, Vancouver demonstrated robust performance in this year’s livability rankings.
The west-coast city attained an impressive overall livability score of 97.3. A closer look at the score breakdown reveals the areas where Vancouver excels.
Vancouver scored 100 on the EIU scale in the healthcare (100) and education (100) categories. Maintaining a consistently high rating. The city also performed admirably in culture and environment (97.2), with slightly reduced but still strong scores in the categories of infrastructure (96.4) and stability (95).
