World
Europe’s Cities Slump in Liveability Index as Auckland Tops List
- Vienna Drops to 12th as virus strains Europe’s health services
- Australia cements status as world’s most liveable country
Yachts moored at a marina as the Sky Tower and other buildings stand in the background in Auckland.
Photographer: Brendon O'Hagan/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Covid-19 is shattering Europe’s claims to have some of the world’s most liveable cities, according to a new ranking.
Vienna, which topped the Economist Intelligence Unit’s index from 2018 to 2020, tumbled to 12th in the survey as a second wave of the virus racked the continent’s health services. Frankfurt, Hamburg and Dusseldorf suffered the sharpest declines, while the U.S. cities of Honolulu and Houston showed some of the biggest gains. Auckland took the No. 1 spot, rising from sixth as New Zealand’s success in containing the outbreak allowed it to keep restaurants, theaters and schools open.