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The vibrancy of London, a city long lauded for its global appeal, is now overshadowed by a stark new reality: it has plummeted nine places in the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) annual Global Liveability Index, dropping out of the world's top 50 most liveable cities. This unsettling trend is mirrored across other major UK cities and much of Western Europe, signalling broader concerns.
The EIU's comprehensive assessment, which ranks 173 cities on 30 indicators spanning stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure, reveals London's decline is predominantly rooted in a significant erosion of its stability score.
The Unravelling of Stability in the Capital
The EIU report directly attributes London's diminished stability to the widespread rioting that gripped the UK in 2024. These disturbances, tragically sparked by a fatal attack on a children's centre in Southport, saw civil unrest spill onto the streets of numerous towns and cities, including London itself. This period of heightened domestic instability has evidently weighed heavily on the EIU's assessment, contributing to London's significant fall from grace.
Barsali Bhattacharyya, Deputy Industry Director at the EIU, noted that "Global liveability has remained flat over the past year, and as in 2024, scores for stability have declined at a global level." She elaborated, "stability scores have declined for Western Europe... amid intensified threats of military conflict for cities in India and Taiwan." This underscores that London's challenges are part of a broader regional and global pattern of decreasing security, influenced by terrorism threats, civil unrest, and wider geopolitical uncertainties.
Beyond the direct impact of these riots, other persistent factors likely contribute to a perception of declining liveability for many Londoners. The capital consistently ranks among the world's most expensive cities, with soaring housing costs, high utility bills, and increasing everyday expenses placing immense financial pressure on residents. Furthermore, while London's infrastructure generally performs well, the sheer population density and ongoing development can lead to perceived strains on public transport and other vital services. Public perception of safety and crime, especially following high-profile incidents, also significantly influences how liveable a city is felt to be, an aspect exacerbated by the 2024 riots. Even environmental factors like pollution levels, though often improving, remain a concern for some.
A Shifting Global Landscape
The EIU's findings highlight a dynamic global picture. This year, Copenhagen ascended to the top spot, unseating Vienna, which fell due to recent terrorism scares. This illustrates the immediate and profound impact of such events on liveability assessments. In contrast, North American cities largely maintained their strong appeal, with all 21 assessed cities scoring in the highest liveability tier. Meanwhile, cities in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia, demonstrated significant improvements in healthcare and education, indicating evolving development and liveability gains in those regions.
While London still boasts strong showings in other global city rankings – recently named the second-best city in the Oxford Economics' Global City Index and the number one city in the Resonance World’s Best Cities ranking – the EIU's report serves as a critical call to action. The emphasis on "stability" clearly points to areas where the capital, and indeed the wider UK, must address underlying issues of civil unrest and public order. For Londoners, the EIU's assessment likely resonates with a growing sentiment that the city, for all its unparalleled opportunities and cultural richness, is becoming an increasingly challenging place to live. City leaders face the pressing task of tackling the root causes of declining stability to ensure London can reclaim its rightful place as a truly top-tier global city for its residents.
