The Global Livability Index 2023, recently released by the Economist Intelligence Unit, has once again put Vienna, capital of Austria in the highlight. Garnering the top position, Vienna proved to be the best city to live in 2023. This article delves deeper into the major highlights of this comprehensive report that rates the living conditions across 173 cities worldwide, as well as notable observations regarding developing countries, specific city rankings, challenges faced by particular cities and more.
Major Highlights of the Index
The Global Livability Index gives an insightful snapshot of the living conditions in various cities based on five significant categories: stability, health care, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. The ranking is a result of meticulous evaluation and comparison of these elements.
List of Top Ten Cities to Live in 2023
Though the list of top ten cities haven’t been included in the original version of the text, the report suggests an intriguing framework to identify the cream of the crop when it comes to global livability.
Observations Related to Developing Countries’ Progress
The report depicts a promising prospect for many developing nations which have shown incremental improvements in their livability rankings. Notably, cities from the Asia-Pacific region have displayed significant progress. While Western European cities have experienced a dip in their rankings, the year 2023 has witnessed dramatic shifts and variations.
A growing emphasis on healthcare and education sectors has been observed in Asian, African, and Middle Eastern countries, indicating a positive trend. However, the report also mentions a fall in stability scores, considerably due to civil unrest in certain regions globally.
Indian Cities in the Index
A major highlight of the report was the ranking of Indian cities. Ranking at 141st position are the cities of New Delhi and Mumbai, while Chennai holds the 144th position. Furthermore, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru are placed at 147th and 148th positions, respectively. These rankings offer an opportunity to gauge the progress of urban development in one of the world’s most populous countries.
Challenges Faced by Specific Cities
Certain cities face unique challenges that reflect in their livability scores. For instance, Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, ranks low at 165th out of the total 173 cities. This finding signifies the obstacles posed by the ongoing war. On a similar note, Damascus in Syria, and Tripoli in Libya continue to record lower rankings, just as they did in the previous year’s index, primarily because of continued unrest and instability in these regions.
Bottom 10 Positions on the Index
The bottom ten positions on the index have not been specified in the source text. However, it can be inferred that these positions are likely occupied by cities grappling with issues such as political instability, poor infrastructure, and lack of access to quality healthcare and education.
This comprehensive report, undoubtedly, provides a valuable reference for cities to benchmark their performance and strive for improvements, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for their residents.