Debrecen4U May 16, 2025

Debrecen is Hungary’s most livable rural city according to international ranking

Debrecen is the most livable rural town in Hungary, according to an international ranking. The Quality of Life Institute ranked Debrecen 145th, making it the second most livable Hungarian city after Budapest.  Economy, urban mobility, community life, the environment and health were also key factors in the ranking.

More than five hundred people gathered for a community tree planting in the Northwest Economic Zone earlier this year. So far this year, it has been one of the most well-attended community green events in the city. 

In Debrecen, the “Move, Debrecen!” initiative provides a wide range of health promotion support and community opportunities for the city’s residents. Health and community involvement are also important factors in the ranking of the most livable cities.

For the sixth time, the Quality of Life Institute has compiled a list of the world’s most livable cities, this time based on 82 different criteria. Debrecen was ranked 145th, making it the second most livable Hungarian city after Budapest. In the international field, Debrecen was ahead of capitals such as Warsaw, Prague and Sofia.

Tibor Remete, founder of the Highlights of Hungary platform was interviewed at the Debrecen Cultural Forum, where he led a discussion titled  “The city building the future”.

“The livability of a city is its future, it is the attraction that can be interesting for the people living here as well as for the tourists and visitors coming here. It includes green thinking, a green approach to how to make a city more nature-oriented. It’s about a playful city for families, for children,” he listed.

The ranking was based on six main areas, including the quality of urban governance, the state of the environment, the economy and the diversity of urban mobility. According to Tibor Remete, a livable city requires a kind of knowledge-based cooperation.

“We do not know the future, but we should shape it together. We need a present context, what we think about our reality today. What is our way of living, the way people from different sectors, professionals and experts live it, and so we can shape it together,” the expert explained.

Copenhagen was ranked the most livable city, followed by Zurich, Singapore, Antwerp, Seoul and Munich. 

Source and photo credit:dehir.hu