Melbourne has claimed bragging rights over Sydney in a prestigious world rating of ‘habitable’ cities however each slid from the place they have been final yr – although they continue to be comfortably within the high 10.
Melbourne got here fourth and Sydney seventh within the International Liveability Index compiled by The Economist journal which compiles the annual rating for its high-flying enterprise and government viewers.
The journal ranked 173 cities by giving scores on well being care, tradition, setting, stability, infrastructure and schooling, however not together with affordability.
Melbourne positioned fourth with an total index of 97, having come third final yr, with high marks for healthcare and schooling however dropping factors for infrastructure as a consequence of ‘an acute housing disaster’ that affected a number of areas.
Sydney solely marginally trailled Melbourne’s index with a rating of 96.6 however that was sufficient to see it drop from fourth final yr to seventh, the place it tied with Canada’s Vancouver.
New Zealand additionally managed to only sneak into the highest 10 with Auckland tying with Japan’s Osaka for the ninth and tenth spots.
The Economist stated housing shortages have been bedevilling many areas on the planet however picked out two nations for particular point out.
‘The scenario is especially worrying in Australia and Canada, the place the provision of rental properties is at an all-time low and buy costs have continued to rise regardless of interest-rate will increase,’ the report from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) learn.
Melbourne has claimed bragging rights over Sydney after beating out its NSW rival in a rating of liveability by venerable journal The Economist
For the third successive yr the Austrian capital of Vienna ranked as essentially the most habitable metropolis after receiving ‘excellent’ scores in 4 out of 5 of the classes.
It was marked decrease for tradition and setting due to a perceived lack of great sporting occasions.
Denmark’s Copenhagen maintained its second place rating from final yr whereas the Swiss metropolis of Zurich climbed from sixth place to 3rd.
Canadian metropolis Calgary tied for fifth place with Swiss metropolis Geneva.
Damascus in Syria remained anchored to the underside of the checklist from final yr incomes the doubtful distinction of being the ‘least habitable metropolis on the planet’.
Libya’s Tripoli, Algeria’s Algiers and Nigeria’s Lagos rounded out the underside 4 with none of these cities making enchancment of their total rating from 2023.
EIU deputy director Barsali Bhattacharyya stated world liveability had risen fractionally in 2024 however stability dangers have been rising.
‘Nonetheless-high inflation accompanied by excessive rates of interest and different financial headwinds led to a different yr of frequent protests the world over,’ he stated.
‘Since we carried out our survey, there have been extra cases of civil unrest and demonstrations world wide.’
Sydney dropped three locations from its place in final yr’s liveability rankings to return in at seventh place
Mr Bhattacharyya stated protests such because the campus demonstrations throughout the US towards Israel’s navy actions in Gaza recommended ‘a seamless stress on liveability that’s unlikely to ease within the close to future’.
