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We are between 10 000 and 14 000 kilometres away from the top five most liveable cities in the world.

All five cities are on ‘island’ countries, which makes them safer places to be amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and is certainly one of the reasons the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) put them at the top of this year’s annual ranking of most liveable cities.

Can you guess where they are?

Based on scores in the categories of stability, healthcare, culture, environment, education, and infrastructure, here’s the top 10.

The category cut off on the right is the education score:

Image: The Economist Global Liveability Index

The top five don’t come as a major surprise, considering all the South Africans who have put up white picket fences in Australia and New Zealand.

According to The Guardian, the Austrian capital of Vienna had previously topped the list, running neck and neck with Melbourne at the top of the survey of 140 urban centres over the years.

But because of New Zealand’s swift elimination of COVID-19 within its borders (thanks to the lockdown measures put in place by Jacinda Ardern, and also its geographic isolation), Auckland has taken the lead.

The last time Auckland was in the top 10 was back in 2017, at eighth position, but now it is top and Vienna has fallen to 12th.

The EIU said:

“New Zealand’s tough lockdown allowed their society to reopen and enabled citizens of cities like Auckland and Wellington to enjoy a lifestyle that looked similar to pre-pandemic life.”

The worst cities, on the other hand, can blame the COVID-19 pandemic, which has “taken a heavy toll on global liveability,” the EIU said:

“Cities across the world are now much less liveable than they were before the pandemic began, and we’ve seen that regions such as Europe have been hit particularly hard.“

These are the 10 least livable cities in the world:

Image: The Economist Global Liveability Index

South Africa didn’t make it on to the list of most liveable (for fair reasons, admittedly) cities, but at least we do have one of the best hotel pools to be proud of.

It’s the small things.

[source:theguardian]