Melbourne has topped the list of the best cities in the world to live in, according to a new report by The Economist Intelligence Unit.

Vienna in Austria and Vancouver in Canada came in second and third place respectively on the Global Liveability Ranking.

Cities across the world are awarded scores depending on lifestyle challenges faced by the people living there. Each city is scored on its stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

Download the new Independent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

This is the third time that the Australian city has topped the list. Unfortunately, UK cities fared worse on the list with London coming 55 out of 140 cities while Manchester was ranked 51.

The report also shows that livability across the world has fallen by 0.6 per cent and that Damascus in Syria has seen the biggest decline in living standards over the last five years.

Click here or on 'view gallery' to see more images