Calgary, Vancouver, and Toronto are among the world’s 10 most liveable cities.
Pour one out for Montreal.
This Definitely Conclusive™ fact was determined by the Economist’s 2019 The Global Liveability Index. The survey evaluated 140 cities based on five key metrics: Stability, Healthcare, Culture & Environment, Education, and Infrastructure. Good thing affordability wasn’t considered.
Vienna defended its crown as the world’s most liveable city. Last year the Austrian capital knocked Melbourne from the top spot after seven consecutive titles. It will have to settle for runner-up. Third place went to rival city Sydney.
Canadian cities claimed spots five through seven: Calgary, Vancouver, and Toronto, respectively. Japan and Denmark are the only other countries with cities in the top 10. Yes, it looks a little suspicious:
Again, one must wonder how the ranking would look had affordability played a role.
Incredibly, Calgary is only one of two cities in the top 10 to record a perfect score in all but one category: culture & environment. It was the lowest score of any city in any category. Maybe add a winter Stampede to the calendar?
As for macro trends, the survey points to “a slight diminishing of the perceived threat of terrorism, after a period of acute concern.” It also highlights “climate change as a global phenomenon, which threatens the liveability of cities at the very top of the index too.”
Meanwhile, the 10 least liveable: