Every year, The Economist puts out its “liveable cities” list. This year, it is titled “The world’s most, and least, liveable cities in 2026.” The Economist Intelligence Unit reviews 175 cities. It judges them by five yearsticks. These are “health care, culture and environment, education, infrastructure and stability.” The methodology is arbitrary, but it is The Economist’s list, and they have a large readership. The medium is known for its distribution to executives, high-level politicians, and the affluent worldwide.
The winners are in mostly homogeneous countries, although some have opened their doors to immigrants in recent years. At the head of the group is Copenhagen. It is the capital of Denmark and has a history that goes back over ten centuries. It has a population of 675,000 and was once a haven for Vikings.
Among the top 10 cities, three are in Australia. These are Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide. Adelaide and Melbourne are on Australia’s southern coast, while Melbourne is on its west coast.
Two are in Japan. Tokyo is the largest city on the list, with a metro population of 37 million. That makes it the third-largest city in the world.
Osaka, also on the list, is the third-largest city in Japan.
Two cities in Switzerland are on the list. These are Zurich and Geneva.
The only city in North America on the list is Vancouver, in the far west of Canada.
Vienna rounds out the top ten.
Damascus is at the bottom of the list. The authors write that “Damascus, Syria’s war-torn capital, remains at the bottom, where it has sat since 2013.” It is the oldest capital city in the world. As recently as yesterday, there was a bombing in the city. Syria has had a civil war since 2012.
The metro area of Damascus includes the city, which has 26 million people.
Finally, to make matters worse, Damascus is among the cities with the world’s harshest climates. High temperatures in the summer can reach 115°F.
Based on The Economist’s assessment, Damascius could be at or near the bottom for years.
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