On a Tuesday in early summer, the Economist Intelligence Unit released its annual ranking of the world’s most liveable cities, and for the second consecutive year, Copenhagen sat alone at the top. The Danish capital achieved perfect scores in stability, infrastructure and education, a trifecta that, according to the index’s compilers, reflects a “successful mix” of public services, cultural environment and safety. Vienna, which had led the list for three years before being unseated, held second place, while Melbourne, Sydney and Zurich rounded out a top ten dominated by Western Europe, Australia, Canada and Japan. The ranking, based on thirty indicators across 173 cities, does not measure tourist charm or monumental beauty, but the quiet, unglamorous texture of daily urban life: how easy it is to get to work, see a doctor, feel secure after dark.

Viewed from London or Paris, the index offers a geography of public-sector competence. Western Europe remained the highest-scoring region, though its average dipped slightly, while Asia’s rose by 0.3 points, driven largely by healthcare improvements in Chinese cities such as Fuzhou. The report’s authors noted that new long-term care insurance and investment in health services had lifted scores nationwide. In the Gulf, however, the shadow of regional conflict dragged cities downward: Muscat fell fourteen places, Kuwait twelve, as stability scores eroded. The United Kingdom, by contrast, recovered some ground after a year of riots and unrest, with Manchester edging ahead of London. Italy, for all its cultural pull, was absent from the upper reaches entirely.

Beyond the rankings, the search for urban wellbeing is reshaping travel itself. The Tourism Authority of Thailand this year launched “Healing is the New Luxury,” a campaign aimed squarely at travellers from the GCC who are increasingly swapping traditional holidays for longer stays centred on preventive healthcare, wellness retreats and restorative experiences. With more than 600,000 visitors expected from the region by year’s end, and over fifteen daily flights connecting the UAE to Thai cities, the kingdom is positioning its internationally accredited hospitals, traditional therapies and luxury resorts as a single destination offering. Yet Bangkok also entered the top ten of the Julius Baer Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report, which tracks the cost of a premium standard of living for high-net-worth individuals. The city replaced Milan, driven by currency shifts and rising prices for suits, handbags and private schooling, even as spa treatments and hotel suites remained relatively affordable. Singapore held the top spot for the fourth year, with Zurich climbing to second on the strength of the Swiss franc.

At the opposite end of the liveability spectrum, the index’s lowest rungs tell a starker story. Damascus remained in last place, but Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital, sat just two spots above it, with an overall score of 42 out of 100. Its infrastructure rating was 27, a figure that, as local commentators noted, persists despite years of heavy budget allocations for transport and housing. The city’s stability score of 45 and healthcare score of 42 reflect a reality in which millions navigate chronic congestion, limited public services and a development model that, critics argue, serves a narrow fraction of the population. In a year when the Global Peace Index recorded a twelfth consecutive decline in world peace, and France slipped to 99th place amid internal unrest, the image of Dhaka—a megacity not at war, yet barely more liveable than cities that are—offers a sobering counterpoint to the calm efficiency of a Copenhagen morning.