A period of relative stability has put the Iranian capital No1 on the list of world cities that have achieved biggest improvements in liveability over the past five years, as calculated by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The “most improved” top 10 contains some unexpected names. So, the tenth place: Hawaii’s capital, Honolulu. Latest ranking: 17; Ranking five years ago: 26; Five-year index movement: 1.3%. Here: Runners gather on Kalakaua Avenue for Hawaii’s Half Marathon. (Photo by Cory Lum/Getty Images)





9: Baku, Azerbaijan. For the liveability index, a total of 140 cities were assigned a rating over 30 qualitative and quantitative factors in five broad categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Ninth on the list is Azerbaijan’s capital and commercial hub, Baku. Latest ranking: 103; Ranking five years ago: 108; Five-year index movement: 1.6%. Here: Men play chess in the old city. (Photo by Andrea Pistolesi/Getty Images)





8: Bratislava, Slovakia. Latest ranking: 63; Ranking five years ago: 64; Five-year index movement: 1.7%. Here: Old Town main square with people at a street cafe. (Photo by Luis Dafos/Alamy Stock Photo)





7: Warsaw, Poland. Latest ranking: 65; Ranking five years ago: 71; Five-year index movement: 2.1%. Here: A cyclist cools off on a hot day in the Polish capital. (Photo by NurPhoto via Getty Images)





6: Kathmandu, Nepal. Latest ranking: 124; Ranking five years ago: 128; Five-year index movement: 2.3%. Here: Shopping in Ason market. (Photo by Narendra Shrestha/EPA)





5: Kuwait City. Latest ranking: 81; Ranking five years ago: 90; Five-year index movement: 2.5%. Here: Avenues Mall, the country’s largest shopping centre. (Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat/AFP Photo)





4: Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Latest ranking: 128; Ranking five years ago: 131; Five-year index movement: 3.8%. Here: A supporter of Ivory Coast president Alassane Ouattara campaigns in a market in the city’s Koumassi quarter. (Photo by Sia Kambou/AFP Photo)





3: Harare, Zimbabwe. Latest ranking: 133; Ranking five years ago: 140; Five-year index movement: 4.4%. Here: Schoolgirls take part in a small street carnival. (Photo by Mary Turner/Getty Images)





2: Dubai, UAE. Latest ranking: 74; Ranking five years ago: 88; Five-year index movement: 4.6%. Here: The observation deck at the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. (Photo by Die Bildagentur der Fotografen GmbH/Alamy Stock Photo)





1: Tehran, Iran. Number one on the “most improved” list is Tehran, after a period of relative political stability. Latest ranking: 126 of 140; Ranking five years ago: 132; Five-year index movement: 5.0%. Here: Iranian youths take a selfie on the Tabi'at (Nature) bridge overlooking Tehran. (Photo by Behrouz Mehri/AFP Photo)