Hong Kong has climbed to No 50 in the latest Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) global liveability list. Photo: ShutterstockHong Kong rose 11 spots to No 50 in the latest Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) global liveability list, making the largest jump among all the surveyed cities but remaining well below 26th-ranked regional rival Singapore.
The report by British-based research and analysis group EIU ranked 173 cities based on 30 factors in five categories – stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.
Hong Kong’s massive jump, which brought its score up by 2.1 points to 90.2, was based on stability and healthcare improvements, the firm said.
Singapore, which moved up eight positions, had an index score of 92.9. EIU attributed it to education and healthcare improvements.
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The Lion City first beat Hong Kong in the 2017 EIU global survey, before the latter climbed to the 35th spot a year later. The city’s ranking dropped in the subsequent years amid the 2019 social unrest and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Austria secured its position as the world’s most liveable city for the third consecutive year with a 98.4 score, followed by Copenhagen, Zurich, Melbourne and Calgary.
Meanwhile, Tel Aviv was the biggest faller, dropping from the 92nd to 112th due to damage caused during the October 7 attacks by Hamas, the de facto ruler in Gaza, and the ongoing war on the coastal enclave.
Western Europe remained the most liveable region overall, with 30 cities there scoring above 92 points.
Asia-Pacific was the third most liveable region, making a “marginal improvement” in its overall score compared with last year’s findings, EIU said.