Copenhagen has retained its position as the world’s most liveable city in the 2026 Global Liveability Index from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), scoring 98 out of 100 overall. This marks the second year in a row, which the Danish Capital has led the ranking of 173 cities worldwide.

The index, now in its long-running annual edition, assesses cities across five categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. Copenhagen scored a perfect 100 in three of these categories, including infrastructure, and above 95 in the remaining two.

Infrastructure as a foundation for liveability

Infrastructure carries a fifth of the total score in the EIU’s methodology, covering factors such as the quality of public transport, energy and water provision, road networks and telecommunications. Copenhagen’s perfect score in this category places it, together with Vienna, at the top of all 173 cities assessed.

The result reflects decades of sustained investment in public infrastructure, district energy and mobility systems in the Danish capital, areas that have long been central to Denmark’s approach to urban planning and its wider green transition.

A steady performer as global stability declines

The 2026 index shows the average liveability score across all cities holding at 76.1 out of 100, unchanged from the previous year. Behind that stable headline figure, however, average stability scores fell by 0.5 points globally, driven in large part by the war in Iran and its impact on cities across the Middle East and North Africa.

Copenhagen and the rest of the top ten cities were largely unaffected by this trend, recording no year-on-year change to their already near-perfect scores. Western Europe remains the most liveable region overall, with an average score of 91.7, ahead of North America on 90.4, although the EIU notes that the region’s average has stagnated this year while Asia’s has continued to climb.

A ranking with real-world weight

The EIU’s Global Liveability Index is widely used by governments, investors and multinational organisations to benchmark cities for purposes ranging from investment decisions to expatriate relocation packages. For international stakeholders assessing where to locate operations, talent or partnerships, the ranking offers an independent, data-driven signal of a city’s stability, quality of life and functioning infrastructure.

Copenhagen’s repeated top ranking places it alongside a small group of cities, including Vienna, Zurich, Geneva, Melbourne and Tokyo, that combine strong public infrastructure with high scores across healthcare, education and culture and environment.