Due to the relaxation of the corona virus, normality is returning in many places. This also has a positive effect on the quality of life, especially in Vienna: In this year’s index of the British “Economist” group, the capital of Austria was able to assert itself as the most livable city in the world.

Last year, the ratings of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) were dominated by Corona. Some metropolises in France, Germany and Great Britain, for example, had to lose points due to the restrictive corona measures. Instead, cities in Australasia were at the forefront, where restrictions were relatively lax. Six locations in Australia and New Zealand made the top ten, with Auckland taking the top spot.

The reversal is now coming with the lifting of the Covid-19 measures. In the EIU ranking published on Thursday, European metropolises can make up some places. The same applies to Canada: the country is represented three times in the top ten with Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto.

Three German cities are among the biggest winners: Frankfurt am Main comes in seventh, Hamburg in 16th place and Düsseldorf in 22nd place. The three cities thus improve by around 30 places each. Amsterdam climbs 21 places to ninth and Vienna jumps from twelfth to first place. The Austrian metropolis was the leader in the EIU ranking from 2018 to 2020.

Cities in New Zealand and Australia slip again in the index. Auckland, for example, is only 34th. The exceptions are Melbourne and Sydney: the two cities had weathered the omicron wave well at the time the EIU data was recorded, so that their rankings have now improved by 35 and 27 places, respectively.

The ranking of the “Economist” group is eagerly awaited every year. This time, the quality of life in 172 major cities was compared according to the following criteria: stability, health care, culture, environment, education and infrastructure.

As a result of the Russian war of aggression against the Ukraine, Moscow and St. Petersburg are suffering, particularly in terms of stability, but also in terms of culture and the environment. In the ranking, the cities fall by 16 and 19 places respectively. The quality of life is also declining in other Eastern European cities due to the war, and Kyiv was removed from the ranking.

In the worst-rated metropolises, the quality of life is primarily affected by wars, terrorism or other conflicts. The bottom ten places include Lagos (Nigeria), Tehran (Iran) and Tripoli (Libya). As in previous years, the Syrian capital Damascus came last.