The survey of 173 countries, by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a think tank affiliated with business magazine The Economist, evaluated them based on five key categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.
Vienna came first with 98.4 points out of 100, followed by Copenhagen (98), Zurich (97.1), Melbourne (97) and Calgary (96.8). The Austrian capital retained its top position for the third consecutive year "thanks to its unsurpassed combination of stability, good infrastructure, strong education and healthcare services, and plenty of culture and entertainment."
Among Asian cities, Osaka ranked the highest, followed by Tokyo, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Seoul came in fifth, down one notch from last year while the southern port city of Busan followed closely in sixth place.
Syria's war-ravaged Damascus was at the bottom of the list, due to "social unrest, terrorism and conflict."
