Taipei was ranked as the 62nd most livable city in the world for the second consecutive year in the latest global survey released on Monday by the UK-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
The survey, now in its 10th year, assesses living conditions in 140 cities around the world by assigning a rating of relative comfort based on more than 30 qualitative and quantitative factors in five broad categories — stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.
The survey gives an overall rating of 0 to 100, with 1 denoting intolerable conditions and 100 ideal conditions.
Sixty-four cities achieved scores of more than 80, while 13 cities were ranked in the bottom tier of livability with ratings of below 50.
Jon Copestake, editor of the report, said that Taipei obtained a rating of 81.9, which means that the city has few, if any, living standard challenges.
He said, however, that Taipei should seek to hold more international sports events and improve its living environment in order to gain a higher ranking.
In the greater China region, Hong Kong placed the highest at 39th, Tianjin 72nd, Suzhou 74th, Beijing 76th, Shenzhen 83rd, Shanghai 84th, Dalian 85th, Guangzhou 89th and Qingdao 95th.
Worldwide, Vancouver retained its ranking as the most livable city, followed by Vienna, Melbourne, Toronto, Perth and Calgary (tied for fifth), Helsinki, Geneva, and Sydney and Zurich (tied for ninth).
Rounding up the top 20 were Adelaide, Auckland, Osaka, Stockholm and Hamburg (tied for 14th), Brisbane, Montreal and Paris (tied for 17th), and Frankfurt and Tokyo (tied for 19th).
US cities in the top tier were Pittsburgh in 29th place and New York in 56th position.
London, meanwhile, was ranked 51st.
The report said that the cities with the best scores tended to be mid-sized, in developed countries with a low population density, had cultural and recreational assets, lower crime levels and fewer infrastructure problems.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain