Many Europeans will be surprised to read that within European only Vienna and Helsinki make the list of the world's 10 most liveable cities. Dublin, according to an Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) survey, is ranked 46th in the global rankings – ahead of London. And the Irish capital is placed joint 20th – with Milan – in the ranking of European cities. The EIU produces an annual liveability survey that rates the world's cities according to a number of criteria: it examines how stable they are, what healthcare and education they provide, and the quality of infrastructure and environment. Melbourne, a city of over four million people, remains the most liveable in the world, a status it has held for the past four years.
Quality of life matters as people increasingly struggle to manage work and leisure time. Cities, their facilities and services, can help or hinder pin those striving to achieve an acceptable work/life balance. A city that is overcrowded, offers poor health and education facilities, with high levels of crime and few cultural attractions, has little liveability appeal – whether to those who must live there, or to those who might visit or work there. An attractive city is one highly placed on the liveability index; one that few of its inhabitants would want to leave, and that has wide international appeal – either to tourists, or as a venue for international conferences, or as a desirable place for foreigners to work.
Dublin remains within the top 50 world cities, just ahead of Rome. If 100 is the ideal overall rating, the capital at 89.5 is just below the average for western Europe – 91.7. Strong ratings for education, culture and environment are offset by weaker ratings for healthcare and infrastructure. The capital clearly has some room for improvement. In that respect the EIU liveability index provides a useful annual benchmark against which to measure Dublin's progress in both turning the city into a better place for its citizens, and a better experience for its visitors.