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Kyiv has been ranked among the world’s 10 worst cities to live in: what The Economist’s ranking revealed

Kyiv has been ranked among the world’s 10 worst cities to live in: what The Economist’s ranking revealed

07 July 2026, 09:15

Kyiv has been ranked among the world’s 10 worst cities to live in: what The Economist’s ranking revealed — Kyiv has slipped down the global ranking of the world’s most liveable cities compiled by The Economist Intelligence Unit

Kyiv has slipped down the ranks in The Economist Intelligence Unit’s global liveability ranking and has been named one of the ten least liveable cities in the world.

This is reported by The Economist Intelligence Unit in its annual Global Liveability Index 2026 study.

The Ukrainian capital ranked 166th out of 173 cities, dropping another place compared with last year. The main reasons were the consequences of the full-scale war and security risks.

Kyiv has slipped into the bottom ten cities to live in

Analysts assessed 173 cities worldwide against five key criteria: stability, healthcare, culture and the environment, education, and infrastructure.

According to the study’s findings, Kyiv came in 166th place, placing it among the ten least liveable cities in the world. Tehran, Tripoli and Lagos were also near the bottom of the ranking.

How Kyiv’s ranking has changed

Before the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the situation was different. In 2021, Kyiv was ranked 117th.

After the outbreak of the major war in 2022, the Ukrainian capital was excluded from the ranking altogether due to the impossibility of conducting a full assessment.

In 2023, 2024 and 2025, Kyiv was ranked 165th, and in 2026 it dropped another place.

Which cities came out on top

Copenhagen was named the world’s most liveable city for the second year running.

The top ten also included:

Vienna;

Melbourne;

Geneva;

Sydney;

Osaka;

Auckland;

Adelaide;

Vancouver;

Tokyo.

The authors of the study note that large cities often lose points due to traffic congestion, high population density and crime rates.

What’s happening around the world

Damascus once again took the bottom spot in the ranking, having remained in last place since 2013.

The greatest deterioration in living conditions this year was recorded in the Middle East. Due to the risks of war and drone attacks, the ratings for Muscat, Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi have fallen.

At the same time, China has become one of the leaders in improving quality of life thanks to large-scale investment in healthcare infrastructure and increased access to medical services.

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