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November 22nd 2025
Not everyone agrees on what makes a great city. Some prefer bustle and a vibrant cultural scene; others might favour good schools and clean air. Few would forgo a feeling of safety, though. And according to EIU’s liveability index—which assesses 173 cities on 30 measures—stability is under threat around the world. Vienna lost its place at the top of the ranking after two foiled terrorist attacks—one on a Taylor Swift concert—brought down its stability score. (Read our story to find out who came top of the list.)
At the other end of the table, Damascus remains rooted to the bottom, Tehran was attacked by Israel and Russia’s bombs continue to fall on Kyiv. There are some signs of hope. Syria’s president has just secured a further six-month suspension of sanctions, and a fragile peace hangs over at least part of the Middle East. But the flawed American-Russian proposal to end the war in Ukraine looks unlikely to improve life in Kyiv any time soon.
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