Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 09/2014

A Summary of the Liveability Ranking and Overview

August 2014

Economist Intelligence Unit

Abstract

The concept of liveability is simple: it assesses which locations around the world provide the best or the worst living conditions. Assessing liveability has a broad range of uses, from benchmarking perceptions of development levels to assigning a hardship allowance as part of expatriate relocation packages. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s liveability rating quantifies the challenges that might be presented to an individual’s lifestyle in any given location, and allows for direct comparison between locations.