Only one Asian city makes it into world’s top 10 most liveable cities

Ranking at the seventh place, Osaka scored the maximum points of 100 in the three categories of stability, healthcare, and education, according to the Global Liveability Index 2025, an annual publication by the United Kingdom-based research firm The Economist Intelligence Unit.

It was given 96.4 for infrastructure and 86.8 for culture and environment, said the study, which incorporates data from 173 cities.

Overall, Osaka scored 96, compared to the global average of 76.1.

A street in Osaka, Japan. Photo by Pexels/Satoshi Hirayama

Denmark’s Copenhagen topped the list this year with a score of 98 points, followed by Austria’s Vienna and Switzerland’s Zurich (both 97.1).

Another Swiss city that made it to the top 10 was Geneva, ranking fifth.

Three Australian cities secured spots on the list, comprising Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide, ranking at the fourth, sixth and ninth place respectively.

New Zealand’s Auckland came at the seventh place (same as Japan) and Canada rounded up the list at the 10th place.

The study noted that Indonesia’s Jakarta and Surabaya, Thailand’s Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and China’s Hong Kong are among the biggest movers up in the ranking.

The Economist Intelligence Unit noted that scores in the stability category have continued to fall this year amid geopolitical tensions, civil unrest and widespread housing crises.

But scores for healthcare, education and infrastructure all saw marginal improvements on average.