Hong Kong has surpassed Singapore in the latest Global Liveability Index put out by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), with the Little Red Dot dropping to the 37th spot this year.
EIU’s annual list assesses stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure in 140 different cities.
Singapore overtook its regional rival in the rankings for the first time last year to sit in 35th place, but this year, Hong Kong managed to raise its scores to a 0.1 percent marginal difference over the city-state. It was in 2015 that Hong Kong’s spot in the ranking fell dramatically thanks to the Umbrella Revolution, which heightened fears of unrest. The autonomous territory has since recovered and is now the 35th-most liveable city in the world. Hella expensive for expats though.
As for Singapore, the country registered an improvement in the public healthcare category and now boasts the highest possible score — 100. In Southeast Asia, Singapore is considered the most liveable city, with Kuala Lumpur close behind in 78th place globally, and Bangkok in the 98th spot. Elsewhere in Asia, Osaka and Tokyo clambered up to break into the top ten tier, scoring third and seventh position respectively. EIU attributes the rise of both cities to a consistent decline in crime rates and improvements in public transportation.
According to the index, the world’s most liveable city is none other than Vienna, finally displacing Melbourne which held strong in the top spot for the past seven years. EIU credits the Austrian capital’s rise to improved security and the return to relative stability across much of Europe. Nonetheless, other Australian cities Sydney and Adelaide continue to perform well in the index at fifth and tenth places respectively.
“As the destabilizing effects of civil unrest and the threat of terrorism gradually decline, 68 cities have seen their liveability ranking improve over the past year,” EIU noted. Global liveability has improved for the second year in a row from 74.8 percent last year to 75.7 percent today. Meanwhile, the war-torn Syrian capital of Damascus remains at the bottom of the list, scoring the lowest marks possible in stability, education, and healthcare.
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