The 10 safest cities to live in the world are all in Europe

In a new ranking, a full 38 European cities are ranked among the 50 most liveable cities in the world, based on criteria such as personal safety, housing and others.

While great food, nightlife, or cultural spaces may be your favorite thing about the city you live in, there are many other factors that make a city a great place to live.

ECA International evaluates cities according to a wide range of criteria, including infrastructure, air quality, access to healthcare, personal safety, political tensions, the ability to build a social network and have recreational activities, housing and basic services, as well as climate, to compile annual location assessments for the period 2025–26.

This year, out of 275 cities analyzed, European cities took 38 of the top 50 spots, as well as all of the top 10 spots in the ranking, with Bern in Switzerland declared the absolute winner.

"Europe's strong performance reflects decades of investment in clean environments, world-class healthcare and infrastructure," said ECA International. "It is worth noting that no European city features in the bottom 50, underscoring the continent's attractiveness."

First, it's very beautiful. The de facto capital of Switzerland is built around a bend in the Aare River, and the Old Town (Altstadt) dates back to the 12th century.

If you're traveling to the city, be sure to visit Freibad Marzili, a popular swimming area where you can take a dip in crystal-clear blue waters, as well as the Kulturzentrum Reitschule, a social and event space that hosts concerts, theater performances, and film screenings.

However, Switzerland is not known for its affordable cost of living. ECA International's list of the most livable cities includes some of the same places that also appear in this roundup of the most expensive cities to rent and this study on the most expensive places to eat out. It turns out that living is not cheap.

The safest and most liveable cities in the world:

Bern, Switzerland

Copenhagen, Denmark

Stavanger, Norway

Geneva, Switzerland

Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

The Hague, Netherlands

Vienna, Austria

Munich, Germany

Dublin, Ireland

Lisbon, Portugal/ TAR