2026 City Livability Rankings Reveal Top Global and Brazilian Cities

The Economist Intelligence Unit released its 2026 Quality of Life ranking of 173 cities worldwide. Copenhagen (Denmark) topped the list with 98 points, followed by Vienna (Austria) and Melbourne (Australia). Other cities in the top ten include Sydney, Zurich, Geneva, Osaka, Adelaide, Vancouver and Tokyo. The ranking also listed the ten worst cities, with Damascus (Syria) remaining the lowest for several years, and highlighted regional drops in the Middle East due to conflict and notable improvements in Chinese cities from health‑care investments.

In Brazil, the Índice de Progresso Social (IPS) identified the five municipalities with the highest social progress scores for 2026. Gavião Peixoto (São Paulo) led nationally with 73.10 points, followed by Jundiaí, Osvaldo Cruz, Pompéia, all in São Paulo, and Curitiba (Paraná). The IPS evaluation considered security, health, education, sanitation, housing, information access, social inclusion, environmental preservation, economic opportunities and individual rights, emphasizing the strong performance of medium‑size cities with diversified economies and infrastructure investments.