The Economist Intelligence Unit's annual ranking of the livability of cities around the globe has found Calgary to be the most livable city in North America and the fifth most livable city in the world.

The organization, a sister company to The Economist newspaper, rated 140 cities based on stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure in its Global Liveability Index 2019.

Calgary received a perfect score in all categories except culture and environment, where the city was graded a score of 97.5 out of 100.

The fifth place ranking represents a drop for Calgary, which was rated fourth in the 2018 Global Liveability Index.

However, being rated the most livable city in Northern America helps to sell the city's brand, said Tourism Calgary's Cindy Ady.

"It's a great piece as we go out to sell ourselves to the world," she said.

Ady said the high ranking is a continuation of Calgary's growing international profile thanks to "world class libraries and fundamental infrastructure pieces that make a difference."

That said, she said there are still ways for Calgary to do better when it comes to telling its story to the world.

"We think sometimes we undersell the cultural scene in Calgary," she said.

Mayor Nenshi also weighed in,  saying "We are still attracting people (as evidenced) from the census numbers that came out yesterday.

"People still want to live here, the quality of life is extraordinary and the economy is growing," he said.

The study found the ten most livable cities in the world to be (total score out of 100):

  • Vienna, Austria (99.1)
  • Melbourne, Australia (98.4)
  • Sydney, Australia (98.1)
  • Osaka, Japan (97.7)
  • Calgary, Canada (97.5)
  • Vancouver, Canada (97.3)
  • Toronto, Canada (97.2)
  • Tokyo, Japan (97.2)
  • Copenhagen, Denmark (96.8)
  • Adelaide, Australia (96.6)

Vancouver received a perfect score in the healthcare, culture & environment, and education categories, but its overall rating dropped due to its infrastructure (92.9) and stability (95).

For additional rankings, visit The Economist Intelligence Unit's 'The Global Liveability Index 2019' overview.