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Calgary is proving to be a model of stability in the tumultuous world charted each year by The Economist Intelligence Unit.Despite an economy that shifted from boom to recession to recovery, Calgary has retained its fifth-place ranking among the world’s most “liveable” cities by the research and analysis division of The Economist Group.

Calgary has retained fifth place in the rankings of 140 global cities every year since 2009. We once again shared fifth place with Adelaide, Australia in 2017. Melbourne, Australia retained its ranking as the most livable city followed by Vienna, Austria, Vancouver and Toronto.

Melbourne has held top spot for the last seven years. Global megacities tend to be graded lower due to issues such as crime and congestion.Calgary earned an overall score of 96.6 in the 1-100 scale and the highest grades possible for stability, healthcare and education. In this scale, one considered intolerable and 100 is ideal.

The rankings are calculated from assessments of 30 factors in five areas: stability (25 per cent), healthcare (20 per cent), culture and environment (25 per cent), education (10 per cent) and infrastructure (20 per cent).

“Those that score best tend to be mid-sized cities in wealthier countries with a relatively low population density,” the 2017 report said. “These can foster a range of recreational activities without leading to high crime levels or overburdened infrastructure.”

The rankings align with a broader vision of prosperity championed by Calgary Economic Development to include success for individuals, businesses and the overall community as is laid out in Building on Our Energy: the 10-year economic strategy for Calgary.

Ninety-eight of the 140 cities surveyed by The Economist have seen a drop in their liveability since 2007. However, the latest annual index showed a slight increase in overall global liveability for the first time in 10 years.

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View this article online by Stephen Ewart of the Calgary Economic Development