For the fourth year in a row, Vancouver has claimed the top spot on an international ranking of the world's most livable cities.

In its annual survey of world cities, the think-tank division of London-based Economist magazine ranks the British Columbia metropolis first among 127.

To create its list, the Economist Intelligence Unit surveyed the cities, assigning each one a 'hardship rating' based on such factors as infrastructure, health care, public safety and access to goods and services.

Vancouver scored a mere one per cent.

With three Canadian cities in the Top 10, residents of Toronto and Calgary also have reason to cheer, as their cities are ranked ninth and tenth respectively.

The EIU's top 10 cities are as follows:

• Vancouver
• Melbourne
• Vienna
• Geneva
• Perth
• Adelaide
• Sydney
• Zurich
• Toronto
• Calgary

According to the report's editor, cities in Canada, Australia and Western Europe topped the list, largely because they are not perceived as targets for terror attacks.

At the other end of the scale, Algiers in Algeria, and Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea ranked last. The reason, the EIU said, is that "many aspects of daily life present challenges."

The EIU's bottom 10 cities:

• Tehran
• Douala
• Harare
• Abidjan
• Phnom Penh
• Lagos
• Karachi
• Dhaka
• Algiers
• Port Moresby