Ranked: The World’s Most Livable Regions in 2026
Key Takeaways
- Western Europe remains the world’s most livable region, narrowly ahead of North America.
- Asia recorded the biggest improvement in 2026, while the Middle East and North Africa saw the steepest regional decline.
- Regional scores range from 92 in Western Europe to 55 in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Each year, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) evaluates living conditions across major cities worldwide using its Global Liveability Index.
This regional comparison aggregates those city scores to show how livability varies across seven major regions in 2026.
The data for this visualization comes from the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index. The index measures stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure, then aggregates the results into regional averages on a scale of 0 to 100.
Western Europe and North America Continue to Lead
Western Europe ranked as the world’s most livable region in 2026 with an overall score of 92, closely followed by North America at 90.
| Region | Liveability | Stability | Healthcare | Culture & environment | Education | Infrastructure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia | 74 | 76 | 76 | 67 | 82 | 74 |
| North America | 90 | 85 | 92 | 90 | 100 | 92 |
| Western Europe | 92 | 86 | 95 | 92 | 96 | 93 |
| Eastern Europe | 71 | 70 | 71 | 70 | 81 | 70 |
| Latin America | 67 | 58 | 68 | 75 | 80 | 63 |
| Middle East & N. Africa | 61 | 55 | 68 | 52 | 78 | 64 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 55 | 49 | 47 | 65 | 65 | 51 |
Both regions performed particularly well in healthcare, education, and infrastructure. North America received a perfect score of 100 in education, while Western Europe recorded the highest healthcare and infrastructure scores.
Stable institutions, mature public services, and extensive transportation networks continue to support high living standards across many cities in both regions.
Asia Records the Biggest Improvement
Asia posted the largest year-over-year improvement among all regions, reaching an average livability score of 74.
According to the EIU, stronger performances by cities in China and Japan helped drive the gains.
Despite this progress, Asia continues to trail Western Europe and North America. Its lowest category score was in culture and environment, while infrastructure performance varied across its rapidly developing economies.
Conflict and Development Gaps Shape the Bottom of the Rankings
The Middle East and North Africa experienced the largest regional decline in 2026, with its average score falling by one point following the Iran war.
Stability remained the region’s weakest category, contributing to an overall score of 61.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranked last with a score of 55. Healthcare, infrastructure, and stability were its lowest-scoring categories.
Latin America and Eastern Europe occupied the middle of the rankings. Both posted relatively strong education scores, but weaker stability results held down their overall averages.
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