The Ukrainian capital Kyiv was not included after Russia invaded the country in late February, while Russian cities Moscow and St Petersburg fell in the rankings over “censorship” and the impact of western sanctions.

Vienna snatched the top spot from Auckland, which tumbled to 34th place due to pandemic restrictions, according to the report.

“Vienna, which slipped to 12th place in our rankings in early 2021 as its museums and restaurants were closed, has since rebounded to first place, the position it held in 2018 and 2019,” it said.

“Stability and good infrastructure are the city’s main charms for its inhabitants, supported by good healthcare and plenty of opportunities for culture and entertainment.”

Europe boasted six out of the top 10 cities. The Austrian capital was followed by the Danish capital Copenhagen and Switzerland’s Zurich.

Fellow Swiss city Geneva came sixth, Germany’s Frankfurt seventh, and the Netherlands’ Amsterdam ninth.

Canada also did well, with Calgary in joint third position with Zurich, followed by Vancouver in fifth place and Toronto in eighth.

Japan’s Osaka and Australia’s Melbourne shared 10th place, while Paris came 19th, 23 places up from last year.

The Belgian capital Brussels was 24th, just behind Canada’s Montreal.

London was the world’s 33rd most liveable city, while Spain’s Barcelona and Madrid ranked 35th and 43rd, respectively.

Italy’s Milan came in at number 49, New York City 51, and Beijing came 71st.

The capital of war-torn Syria, Damascus, retained its place as the least liveable city on the planet.