NZ cities retain top-20 ranking on world's 'most liveable' list
Auckland and Wellington have both maintained their positions in the recently released list of the top 20 most liveable cities in the world for 2025.
The City of Sails has again shared its seventh-placed equal ranking with Osaka, Japan, up two places from ninth equal last year.
Our capital city Wellington stayed the same, coming in at 20th place.
Both cities had recently been ranked highly by the annual index by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Wellington on one of those "good days". (Source: Getty)
ADVERTISEMENT
Auckland was ranked the world's most liveable city and Wellington was ranked fourth in the 2021 index.
Across the ditch, Melbourne came in at fourth place while Sydney came in at sixth.
Perth and Brisbane were ranked 15th and 16th respectively.
The Danish capital of Copenhagen dethroned the Austrian capital of Vienna for the number one spot, ending a three-year reign.
Christopher Luxon is expected to travel to Sydney to meet with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday. (Source: Getty)
The index, created by the Economist Intelligence Unit, rated 173 cities worldwide on factors such as stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.
Damascus, Syria remained the least liveable city in the world.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Despite last year's regime change, Syria's capital city continues to be scarred by years of civil war and has seen no improvement in liveability," wrote the authors of the report.
The top 20 most liveable cities
1. Copenhagen, Denmark
2. Vienna, Austria (tie)
2. Zurich, Switzerland (tie)
4. Melbourne, Australia
5. Geneva, Switzerland
ADVERTISEMENT
6. Sydney, Australia
7. Osaka, Japan (tie)
7. Auckland, New Zealand (tie)
9. Adelaide, Australia
10. Vancouver, Canada
11. Luxembourg
12. Toronto, Canada
ADVERTISEMENT
13. Helsinki, Finland
14. Tokyo, Japan
15. Perth, Australia
16. Brisbane, Australia
17. Frankfurt, Germany
18. Calgary, Canada
19. Amsterdam, Netherlands
ADVERTISEMENT
20. Wellington, New Zealand.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
an hour ago
- Otago Daily Times
Arriving on a jet plane
Of the dozen or more planes which landed at Dunedin Airport on Tuesday, one Jetstar flight was just that little bit more special than the other arrivals. When the Airbuses' wheels hit the Momona tarmac at 2.30pm, Dunedin Airport was once again Dunedin International Airport, as the first of three scheduled weekly flights between here and the Gold Coast reconnected the southern city with Australia, and the world. To say that the flight had been eagerly awaited would be a major understatement. Southern tourism operators, already slammed by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, have been desperate for an international flight of some description to resume on a route to Dunedin. While tens of thousands of cruise ship passengers make for a busy spring and summer, operators do bring tours to Dunedin in autumn and winter, and some visitors to southern skifields do roam further afield, there is no substitute for a potential 20,000-plus visitors a year landing at your doorstep. Quite apart from the potential tourism spend benefits of the new route for Dunedin, for families who have loved ones on either side of the Tasman, reuniting for important life milestones will now be just that little bit easier. Both they and the business community will welcome not having to book three or four connecting flights to get themselves from Dunedin to points further afield, or having to make a time-consuming drive to Queenstown or Christchurch to fly directly out of the country. The subject of international flights has been an important one for Otago Daily Times readers — it is a regular topic of letters to the editor, and even more so after local teen Benjamin Paterson launched his lobbying campaign for Dunedin to be put back on flight schedules. This was, of course, something which many people in the city had been working on for many months, although the added impetus of the publicity Benjamin gained did those working in the background no harm whatsoever. Many people, from the airport to the council to local politicians to Benjamin Patterson, can claim a moment in the sunshine which that first plane was bathed in when it landed in Dunedin on Tuesday. But in many ways the hard work starts now. As many of our aforementioned readers have noted in their letters, Jetstar is a business, not a charity, and unless people use this new route it will be closed. The expense, let alone the carbon footprint, of transtasman flights will be unjustifiable if the Airbus is full of empty seats. Dunedin's tourism operators already enthusiastically spruik the city and region's virtues to potential overseas visitors. Those efforts, not just in the Australian market but further afield, will now need to be redoubled so as to ensure a steady stream of sightseers to the city. Conference organisers should also be encouraged to put Dunedin back on their schedules, now that it is potentially easier for overseas attendees to make their way South. Inevitably, some have questioned whether Coolangatta is really the prime destination in Australia which southerners wish to travel to. But quite apart from the fact that there is plenty to recommend about its Gold Coast location, Coolangatta is an hour by road from Brisbane and its airport has regular connecting flights to all state capitals, as well as Indonesia, Canada and the United States. That does indeed make Dunedin closer to the world. The welcome mat was well and truly out on Tuesday, and hopefully it will remain so. Takutai Tarsh Kemp The death of Te Pati Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp yesterday was the second time this Parliamentary term that the House has had to adjourn business as MPs mourn one of their own. She was not a prolific contributor in the debating chamber, but the kidney complaint which she quietly managed and which claimed her at the cruelly young age of 50 offers an explanation for that. It is also a reminder, as was the death of Green list MP Fa'anānā Efeso Collins last year, that there is an inequality in life expectancy statistics in New Zealand. Ms Kemp was a campaigner for Māori deprivation to be recognised and addressed, and that will be her political legacy.
1News
9 hours ago
- 1News
NZ cities retain top-20 ranking on world's 'most liveable' list
Auckland and Wellington have both maintained their positions in the recently released list of the top 20 most liveable cities in the world for 2025. The City of Sails has again shared its seventh-placed equal ranking with Osaka, Japan, up two places from ninth equal last year. Our capital city Wellington stayed the same, coming in at 20th place. Both cities had recently been ranked highly by the annual index by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Wellington on one of those "good days". (Source: Getty) ADVERTISEMENT Auckland was ranked the world's most liveable city and Wellington was ranked fourth in the 2021 index. Across the ditch, Melbourne came in at fourth place while Sydney came in at sixth. Perth and Brisbane were ranked 15th and 16th respectively. The Danish capital of Copenhagen dethroned the Austrian capital of Vienna for the number one spot, ending a three-year reign. Christopher Luxon is expected to travel to Sydney to meet with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday. (Source: Getty) The index, created by the Economist Intelligence Unit, rated 173 cities worldwide on factors such as stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. Damascus, Syria remained the least liveable city in the world. ADVERTISEMENT "Despite last year's regime change, Syria's capital city continues to be scarred by years of civil war and has seen no improvement in liveability," wrote the authors of the report. The top 20 most liveable cities 1. Copenhagen, Denmark 2. Vienna, Austria (tie) 2. Zurich, Switzerland (tie) 4. Melbourne, Australia 5. Geneva, Switzerland ADVERTISEMENT 6. Sydney, Australia 7. Osaka, Japan (tie) 7. Auckland, New Zealand (tie) 9. Adelaide, Australia 10. Vancouver, Canada 11. Luxembourg 12. Toronto, Canada ADVERTISEMENT 13. Helsinki, Finland 14. Tokyo, Japan 15. Perth, Australia 16. Brisbane, Australia 17. Frankfurt, Germany 18. Calgary, Canada 19. Amsterdam, Netherlands ADVERTISEMENT 20. Wellington, New Zealand.
Techday NZ
14 hours ago
- Techday NZ
Refresh smarter, spend smarter: Why flexible IT financing is on the rise
In today's fast-paced business world, owning IT assets outright is becoming increasingly outdated. Technology evolves faster than ever, budgets are under pressure, and flexibility has become a top priority for Australian businesses of all sizes. Rather than investing large amounts of capital in depreciating assets, more businesses are shifting towards more intelligent and agile models, including leasing, financing, and structured refresh programmes. It's not just enterprise giants making the move; mid-sized organisations and growing SMEs are increasingly embracing flexible financing to stay competitive, manage risk, and keep their teams equipped with the latest technology. Here's why the traditional "own and operate" approach is losing its shine — and how a modern financing strategy can help future-proof your IT environment. Why Ownership is Losing Ground Owning technology used to be seen as a long-term investment. Today, it's often a liability. Rapid innovation cycles mean devices become outdated faster than ever. According to Deloitte's 2024 Tech Trends Australia report, 70% of mid-sized businesses plan to refresh major parts of their IT infrastructure within the next two years. Meanwhile, economic uncertainty and rising interest rates are prompting Australian businesses to reassess their capital allocation strategies. NAB's Business Insights show that nearly half of SMEs now prioritise cashflow preservation over asset accumulation. In short, holding onto ageing, depreciating assets ties up capital, increases operational risk, and limits flexibility when businesses need it most. Smarter Financing Options for a Changing Market Today's IT financing models are designed for flexibility and growth. Some of the most popular approaches include: Operating leases: Pay for the use of technology over a set period, without the burden of ownership. Upgrades and returns are built into the model. Pay for the use of technology over a set period, without the burden of ownership. Upgrades and returns are built into the model. Finance leases and chattel mortgages: Structure repayments over time, allowing businesses to own assets at the end if desired — while keeping cashflow healthy during the term. Structure repayments over time, allowing businesses to own assets at the end if desired — while keeping cashflow healthy during the term. Structured refresh programmes: Predetermined upgrade cycles that ensure businesses stay current, competitive, and efficient without spikes in capital expenditure. Predetermined upgrade cycles that ensure businesses stay current, competitive, and efficient without spikes in capital expenditure. Technology Lifecycle Solutions: Comprehensive asset management services that span procurement, usage, upcycling, and responsible retirement — helping to maximise value across the full lifecycle. Leading financial service providers are offering new models that combine financing flexibility with sustainability initiatives, enabling businesses to extend, optimise, or responsibly retire IT assets through services like Asset Upcycling and Tech Buyback programmes. The Business Benefits of Moving to Finance-First Models Free up capital for growth Redirect funds from depreciating equipment to strategic investments, like customer growth, talent acquisition, or innovation projects. Stay agile and current Regular refresh cycles ensure your teams always have access to the latest, most secure technology without the costs and delays of large-scale replacements. Improve security and compliance Older hardware often lags in critical security updates. A structured refresh strategy enables businesses to maintain a strong cybersecurity posture and meet evolving compliance standards. Advance sustainability goals Circular economy models, such as asset upcycling and technology recycling, facilitate the achievement of environmental targets while often recovering residual value from retired assets. Gain predictability and control Fixed monthly costs, flexible end-of-term options, and streamlined asset management help businesses plan better and avoid budget surprises. What to Consider Before Moving to a Finance Model Choosing the right financing strategy means balancing operational needs with financial and strategic goals. Important questions include: How fast does technology evolve in your sector, and how often should you refresh? Do you require full lifecycle support, including maintenance, upgrades, and end-of-life recycling services? Is preserving cash flow and balance sheet flexibility a major driver? How important are sustainability and circular economy initiatives to your business stakeholders? Are you planning for hybrid workforces or technology expansion in the near term? An experienced IT partner can help model various scenarios and design a solution that aligns with both your business and technology objectives. How BPC Commercial Can Help At BPC Commercial, we work closely with businesses across Australia to deliver flexible, cost-effective IT financing solutions. Whether you're looking for a simple lease agreement, a structured refresh programme, or a full Technology Lifecycle Solution with sustainable asset retirement, we can tailor a strategy that supports your growth. We partner with trusted finance providers to ensure our customers get access to the most modern, efficient, and sustainable financing and asset management options available today.
