The most livable cities in the world for 2022

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(CNN) — Are you considering a big move this year? You may want to think of Canada or Western Europe.

The annual ranking of the world’s most livable cities has just been released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), and the 2022 Global Liveability Index shows some clear differences from the previous year†

The EIU, a sister organization of the economistranked 173 cities around the world on various factors, including health care, crime rates, political stability, infrastructure and access to green space.

Thanks to the presence of the Red Cross and the European Union, Geneva was high on the list.

Athanasios Gioumpasis / Getty Images

Table of Contents

Big winners

Overall, Europe dominated the list, with six places in the top 11 (there was a tie for 10th place). Copenhagen, which CNN Travel pronounced Europe’s capital of cool achieved second place on the Global Liveability Index in December 2021.

Switzerland was the only country in Europe to have two entries in the top 10, with Geneva in sixth place and Zurich in third.

However, the country’s overall winner was Canada. The Great White North had represented three of its cities: Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto.

“Cities that topped our rankings before the pandemic have recovered thanks to their stability, good infrastructure and services, as well as enjoyable leisure activities,” the index authors wrote.

large drippers

Last year’s winner, Auckland, New Zealand, dropped out of the top 10 in 2022, finishing in a surprising 34th place.

Neighboring Australia had the most notable drop in the rankings this year. Despite Melbourne having topped the list in the past, it dropped to 10th place in 2022.

In 2021, Australia dominated the EIU indexwith Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth all joining Melbourne in the top 10. This year they are 27th, 30th and 32nd respectively.

Osaka was the only Asian city to make it into the top 10 this year.

Philip Fong/AFP/Getty Images

Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, was in fourth place in 2021 but also fell out of the top 10 this year.

While Europe had a very good performance in 2022, two notable mentions are missing: London and Paris. Higher costs of living played a role in both metropolises, as did the UK’s decision to leave the European Union.

Ongoing global conflict was the main factor determining which countries were at the bottom of the list. Damascus, Lagos and Tripoli were rated as the three least livable cities in the world.

Meanwhile, Kiev was not analyzed this year due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Viability vs Cost of Living

Earlier this month, global mobility company ECA International published its list of the: most expensive cities in the world to live in, with a focus on expats.

Hong Kong had the dubious honor of finishing in first place, with New York City, Geneva, London and Tokyo around the top five.

The only city to appear on both the ECA and the EIU index was Geneva.

The ranking of the most expensive cities was determined solely by economic factors — average rent, gas price, and the like — unlike the EIU list, which looks at a city’s cultural attractions, such as museums and concerts, as well as infrastructure such as public transportation.