Manchester has officially been named the 28th most liveable in the world, according to a prestigious annual ranking.
And our city has ranked quite a bit higher than some other heavy-hitters.
The new Global Liveability Index for 2022 – which is published each year by The Economist, and assesses and ranks locations around the world based on whether they provide the best or the worst living conditions for residents – has officially been released today, and it’s revealed that Manchester has taken the 28th spot on the list.
A total of 173 cities across the world have been ranked, and every city is assigned a rating for ‘relative comfort’ for over 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories – stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.
Each factor in a city is rated as acceptable, tolerable, uncomfortable, undesirable, or intolerable.
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For the qualitative indicators, a rating is awarded based on the judgment of the The Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU)’s team of expert analysts and in-city contributors, and for quantitative indicators, a rating is calculated based on the relative performance of a number of external data points, and then, the scores are compiled and weighted to provide a score.
The Global Liveability Index for 2022 has been published, and Manchester has ranked at 28 / Credit: Unsplash (Josh Taylor | Fraser Cottrell)173 cities were ranked on stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure / Credit: Thomas Foster (via Unsplash)
When it comes to the range of scoring, cities are given a score between one and 100, where one is considered intolerable, and 100 is considered ideal.
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This year, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and how well a city has recovered, has been incorporated into the overall liveability score – with the introduction of new indicators to assess stress and restriction levels for each city.
The liveability rating is provided both as an overall score and as a score for each category.
Manchester’s ranking at number 28 sounds even more impressive when you realise we have beaten out some real European heavy-hitters such as Spain’s cities of Barcelona (35) and Madrid (43), and Italy’s northern gem Milan (49), as well as other global tourist hotspots like the US city of New York at 51, and China’s capital Beijing at 71.
The index rates living conditions in 172 cities based on more than 30 factors, including indicators related to covid. These are grouped into five categories:
🕊 Stability 🏥 Health care 🌳 Culture and environment 📚 Education 🏗 Infrastructure
We’ve even beaten out our country’s own capital city too, with London coming in at number 33 on the 2022 rankings.
But which city has clinched the title as the most liveable city in the world for 2022? And what other cities have featured in the coveted top 10? Well, this year, the Austrian capital of Vienna has reclaimed the crown it wore back in 2018 and 2019 after knocking New Zealand’s Aukland off the top spot.
The Danish capital of Copenhagen has moved up 13 places from last year to take the second spot, and Zurich in Switzerland now shares third place with Calgary in Canada – which has risen from 18th position.
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Fellow Swiss city Geneva came sixth, Germany’s Frankfurt seventh, the Netherlands’ capital of Amsterdam at ninth, and the Australian city of Melbourne took 10th place.
Greater Manchester restaurants are adding an extra £1 to bills to help fight homelessness this Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Dozens of local restaurants will be adding an extra £1 onto every bill over the festive season to help fight street homelessness.
People in Greater Manchester are once again able to give back while they dine at some of the best restaurants the region has to offer in the run up to Christmas, as the successful StreetSmart fundraising initiative is back for another year.
This year, 26 fantastic restaurants have come together to support local homeless charities as the campaign launched this past Saturday (1 November).
Manchester independents such as Mana, Erst, Climat, 10 Tib Lane, Ezra & Gill, Tartuffe, and Blue Eyed Panda are among those taking part in the campaign this year, alongside several city centre chain restaurants such as Lina Stores, Tampopo, Banyan, Manahatta, and San Carlo.
StreetSmart works by each participating restaurant adding an extra £1 to every bill they deliver throughout November and December, with all of the money raised going directly to local homeless organisations, thanks to StreetSmart’s official sponsorship from LandAid.
The funds raised by StreetSmart in Greater Manchester this year will support the crucial work of organisations such as CentrePoint, which funds Independent Living Advisors for young people, and Real Change Manchester, which plugs into the existing homelessness charities to provide that extra boost of funding that makes all the difference.
The StreetSmart team says it’s determined to deliver another record-breaking year in 2025, and provide much-needed support to the services that help some of the most vulnerable people in the city.
Manchester restaurants are adding an extra £1 to bills to help fight homelessness this Christmas / Credit: Supplied | Rifqi Ali Ridho (via Unsplash)
“The festive period can be an incredibly tough time for the vulnerable people in our community,” explained Glenn Pougnet, who is the Director of StreetSmart.
“StreetSmart provides a simple way for people to help some of our city’s most in need. Giving back whilst dining out at Christmas is what StreetSmart is all about, and we’re thrilled to have so many restaurants already taking part.
“Every £1 added to a bill adds up and makes a huge difference.”
Featured Image – John Carey (Supplied)
News
Police appeal for information after pedestrian killed on Mancunian Way followed earlier welfare concern reports
Emily Sergeant
Police are continuing to appeal for information after a pedestrian was killed on Mancunian Way during the early hours.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that the shocking incident occurred at approximately 12:50am on Friday 31 October when it was reported that a Volkswagen Passat had collided with a man in his 20s.
Sadly, the collision was fatal and the pedestrian died at the scene.
The driver of the Volkswagen, a man in his 40s, was subsequently arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
Following the incident, subsequent police enquiries have established that a call was made to the force shortly after midnight which reported concern for a man walking on the carriageway, and GMP says it believes the man in that report was the man who was involved in the fatal collision.
Officers were sent out as ‘high priority’ to carry out an extensive search of the surrounding area after the report was made, but it was said that they couldn’t locate him.
#UPDATE | Officers are continuing to appeal for information following the fatal collision on Mancunian Way this morning.
We have referred ourselves to the IPOC after reports that the victim was possibly spotted on the carriageway earlier that morning.
— Manchester City Centre Police (GMP) (@GMPCityCentre) October 31, 2025
Due to this earlier report, GMP has confirmed that it has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to look into its response to the search.
The victim’s family is aware, have been updated, and they are being supported by specialist officers at this time.
GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit is still appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward, and are particularly keen to speak to anyone who may have CCTV footage, dashcam, or mobile phone footage from the area in the moments leading up to the incident.
“This is a tragic incident for all involved and we express our deepest condolences to the family of the man who has lost his life, and whom we are doing our utmost to support at this time,” commented Sergeant Andrew Page.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 0161 856 4741, quoting log number 111 of the 31/10/25, or by using the ‘report tool’ or LiveChat function on the GMP website – www.gmp.police.uk
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Emily Sergeant -
23rd June 2022 
