It has been quietly making its case for being one of the best places in the world to live, with multiple cities listed in 2024's Global Liveability Index and Smart City Index. When it comes to the world's best country rankings, Scandinavia typically tops the charts. We're used to seeing Denmark, Finland and Norway leading the pack in the world's happiest country lists – but another European country has been quietly making its case for being one of the best places in the world to live.
With multiple cities listed in the top 10 of this year's Global Liveability Index and the Smart City Index , Switzerland shows that its policies offer nationwide impact. Zurich and Geneva cracked the top 10 most liveable cities, with perfect scores in healthcare and education; while Zurich came in as the number one smart city for its chart-topping infrastructure and technology score, with Geneva following close behind in fourth place, followed by Lausanne in seventh. As a smaller country bordered by five other nations, Switzerland has been influenced by various cultures and languages throughout its existence, which has led to positive styles of governance, according to residents.
"One big cultural influence is our history as a 'nation by will', with a lot of minorities (cultural, ethnic, language etc), resulting in a high sensitivity and acceptance of compromises," said resident Res Marty, founder of Switzerland Beyond Chocolate . The country famously practices direct democracy where every cit.