Abu Dhabi has been ranked the most liveable city in the Middle East region for the second year in a row, according to the Global Liveability Index 2021 of The Economist Intelligence Unit, the research and analysis division of Economist Group.
The UAE capital moved up seven places in the 2021 global quality of life ranking. The new ranking is a result of the government’s continued social and economic development and successful response to the challenges of the pandemic, particularly in the health sector, which saw Abu Dhabi record the best response to COVID-19 in the world earlier this year.
The index surveys the 140 most liveable cities in the world according to 30 factors. It measures the world’s best cities to live in, based on the level of luxury and comfort of living in each city, according to a set of criteria and determinants, which are stability, quality of healthcare, culture and environment, quality of education and infrastructure.
The top 10 most liveable cities in the world, and their scores according to The Global Liveability Index 2021, are:
- Auckland, New Zealand (96.0)
- Osaka, Japan (94.2)
- Adelaide, Australia (94.0)
- Wellington, New Zealand (93.7)
- Tokyo, Japan (93.7)
- Perth, Australia (93.3)
- Zurich, Switzerland (92.8)
- Geneva, Switzerland (92.5)
- Melbourne, Australia (92.5)
- Brisbane, Australia (92.4)
Due to the pandemic, the EIU added new indicators such as stress on healthcare resources as well as restrictions around local sporting events, theatres, music concerts, restaurants and schools.
Damascus in Syria remained the world’s least liveable city with Syria marking 10 years of civil war this year. Among the South Asian cities, Dhaka (137) and Karachi (134) scored in the bottom.
