Vancouver Ranks Among The World’s Top Ten Livable Cities

Vancouver, British Columbia, has once again earned a place among the world’s most livable cities. According to the 2026 Global Liveability Index released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Vancouver ranked ninth this year.

It is the only city in North America to appear in the top 10 list. This is also the second year in a row that Vancouver has achieved this recognition.

The 2026 Global Liveability Index was released on July 7. The report evaluated 173 cities from around the world based on different quality-of-life factors.

Every year, the EIU compares cities using five main categories. These include stability, healthcare, education, culture and environment, and infrastructure.

Top 10 Most Livable Cities In 2026

Europe has the highest number of cities in this year’s top 10 list, with four cities making the rankings. The remaining places are shared by cities in Oceania, Asia, and North America.

The list is mostly similar to the 2025 rankings. However, Tokyo, Japan, entered the top 10 this year, while Auckland, New Zealand, dropped out.

The table below features the full rankings for the top 10 most livable cities of 2026:

The report also highlights the cities at the bottom of the rankings. According to the EIU, these cities have been greatly affected by war, conflict, or poverty. They include Tehran in Iran, Kyiv in Ukraine, Karachi in Pakistan, and Tripoli in Libya. Damascus, Syria, ranked last in the 2026 index.

Vancouver’s Performance In 2026

Vancouver improved its position compared to last year. In 2025, it ranked tenth, while in 2026 it moved up to the ninth place.

Well, the city’s overall livability score also increased slightly, rising from 95.8 to 96.

Some category scores also changed:

• Healthcare: increased from 95.8 to 96.
• Culture and environment: decreased slightly from 97.2 to 97.
• Infrastructure: increased from 92.9 to 93.

Vancouver continued to receive a perfect 100 out of 100 score for education. It also scored higher than Copenhagen in the culture and environment category, even after a small decline in that score.

Although Vancouver improved compared to last year, it has not yet returned to its seventh-place position from 2024. That year, Calgary ranked fifth and finished ahead of Vancouver.

Looking further back, Vancouver held the number one position for almost a decade, from 2002 to 2010. Since then, its ranking has changed over the years, but it has remained one of the world’s leading cities for quality of life.

How The Rankings Are Prepared?

The Economist Intelligence Unit examined 173 cities using 30 different indicators. These indicators were divided into five main categories.

Each indicator received a score between 1, meaning intolerable, and 100, meaning ideal. The category scores were further combined to create an overall livability score out of 100.

Based on the final score, cities were grouped into five levels: acceptable, tolerable, uncomfortable, undesirable, or intolerable.

Below are the five categories, their weight in the final ranking, and the factors included under each one.

• Stability (25%): Presence of petty and violent crime, threat of terrorism, military conflict, and civil unrest.
• Healthcare (20%): Availability & quality of public and private healthcare, access to over-the-counter medicines, and healthcare indicators adapted from the World Bank.
• Culture And Environment (25%): Climate, humidity, comfort for travellers, corruption, censorship, social and religious restrictions, sporting and cultural activities, food and drink, and consumer goods and services.
• Education (10%): Availability and quality of public and private education, along with education indicators adapted from the World Bank.
• Infrastructure (20%): Quality of roads, public transportation, international connections, energy and water supply, telecommunications, and access to good-quality housing.

The latest rankings once again show that Vancouver continues to offer a high standard of living. Strong healthcare, excellent education, reliable infrastructure, and a safe environment have helped the city remain one of the best places to live in the world.

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