Vienna has again been named as the
‘best’ city in the world, with the Austrian capital’s perennial Swiss
rival, Zurich, in second place. Auckland, Munich and Düsseldorf complete
the top five. Overall, German-speaking cities occupy six places in the
top ten in this year’s Quality of Living Survey
Compared to 2010, the most prominent changes in Mercer's city rankings are: Munich up from 7th to 4th place; Geneva down from 3rd to 8th place; Hamburg up from 23rd to 16th place; Brussels down from 14th to 22nd place; Paris up from 34th to 30th place; Calgary down from 28th to 33rd place; Barcelona up from 44th to 40th place; Lisbon up from 45th to 41st place; Madrid up from 48th to 43rd place and Tokyo down from 40th to 46th place. Two other Japanese cities, Kobe and Yokohama, both dropped by seven places.
European cities represent over half the cities amongst the top 25 in the ranking. London (38) is the highest-ranking UK city and is followed by Birmingham (52), Aberdeen (54) and Glasgow (56). Belfast (63) is the lowest-ranking of the UK cities that Mercer surveys. Globally, the cities with the lowest quality of living are Khartoum, Sudan (217), Port-au-Prince, Haiti (218), N’Djamena, Chad (219), and Bangui, Central African Republic (220). Baghdad, Iraq (221) ranks last in Mercer’s table.
This year, the survey separately identifies those cities with the highest personal safety ranking
based on internal stability, crime levels, law enforcement
effectiveness and the host country’s international relations. Luxembourg
tops this personal safety ranking, followed by Bern, Helsinki and
Zurich – all ranked at number two. Vienna ranks fifth, while Geneva and
Stockholm both rank sixth. Baghdad (221) is the world’s least safe city,
followed by N’Djamena, Chad (220), Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire (219),
Bangui, Central African Republic (218), and Kinshasa, Democratic
Republic of the Congo (217).
The world's best cities for quality of life
(New York City is the base city with a score of 100 points)
Research by Mercer Consulting
The EIU's list of 'best' cities in the world
The Americas
Canadian cities dominate the top of the ranking for this region. Vancouver (5) has the best quality of living and is followed by Ottawa (14), Toronto (15) and Montreal (22). Honolulu (29) and San Francisco (30) are the highest-ranking US cities. In Central and South America, Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe (63), ranks highest, followed by San Juan, Puerto Rico (72), and Montevideo, Uruguay (77). Port-au-Prince, Haiti (218), ranks lowest in the region.
Canadian cities also dominate the higher end of the personal safety ranking for this region, with Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver all ranked jointly at 17. In the United States, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston and San Francisco all rank 53. Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe (40), is again the highest-ranking city in Central and South America, followed by Nassau, Bahamas (66), San Juan, Puerto Rico (79), and Panama City, Panama (92). At the other end of the personal-safety scale, Caracas, Venezuela (205), Port-au-Prince, Haiti (202), Bogotá, Colombia (196), and Kingston, Jamaica (192), rank lowest in the region.
City Mayors was told that the disparity in living standards between North and South America were still considerable. "Though a number of South and Central American countries have experienced positive change, political and safety issues predominate in the region. In particular, drug trafficking, drugs cartels and high levels of street crime, combined with natural disasters, continue to impair the region’s quality of living,” the Mercer spokesman explained.
Europe
Vienna is the European city with the highest quality of living. German and Swiss cities dominate the top of the ranking, with three cities each in the top 10. Zurich (2) is followed by Munich (4), Düsseldorf (5), Frankfurt (7) and Geneva (8), while Bern shares ninth place with Copenhagen.
In the next tier are Amsterdam (12), Hamburg (16), Berlin (17), Luxembourg (19), Stockholm (20), Brussels (22), Nurnberg (24) and Dublin (26). Paris ranks 30 and is followed by Oslo (33), Helsinki (35) and London (38). Lisbon is number 41, Madrid is at 43 and Rome ranks 52. Prague, Czech Republic (69), is the highest-ranking eastern European city, followed by Budapest, Hungary (73), Ljubljana, Slovenia (75), Vilnius, Lithuania (79), and Warsaw, Poland (84). The lowest-ranking European city is Tbilisi, Georgia (214).
With seven cities in the top 10, European cities also fare well in the personal safety ranking. Luxembourg ranks highest, followed by Bern, Helsinki and Zurich, which all rank second. Vienna (5) is ahead of jointly ranked Geneva and Stockholm (6). Berlin ranked 36th, while London is in 68th place. A Mercer spokesman told City Mayors, that the August 2011 riots in London were noted but, because they only lasted a few days, had no impact on the UK capital's ranking. In Eastern Europe, Ljubljana (30) and Prague (47) rank highest for personal safety, whereas Moscow (199) and Tbilisi (215) rank lowest.
A Mercer spokesman said: “European cities in general continue to have high standards of living, because they enjoy advanced and modern city infrastructures combined with high-class medical, recreational and leisure facilities. But economic turmoil, high levels of unemployment and lack of confidence in political institutions make their future positions hard to predict. Countries such Austria, Germany and Switzerland still fare particularly well in both the quality of living and personal safety rankings, yet they are not immune from decreases in living standards if this uncertainty persists.”
Asia-Pacific
Auckland (3) is the highest-ranking city for quality of living in the Asia-Pacific region and is followed by Sydney (11), Wellington (13), Melbourne (18) and Perth (21). The highest-ranking Asian cities are Singapore (25) and Tokyo (46). Hong Kong (70), Kuala Lumpur (76), Seoul (80) and Taipei (85) are other major Asian cities ranked in the top 100. Meanwhile, Dhaka, Bangladesh (204), Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (206), and Dushanbe, Tajikistan (208), rank lowest in the region.
At 8, Singapore ranks highest for personal safety, followed by Auckland and Wellington – both ranked 9. Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney all rank 25, and all the Japanese cities on the list (Tokyo, Kobe, Nagoya, Osaka and Yokohama) rank 31. The region’s lowest-ranking city for personal safety is Karachi, Pakistan (216).
As a region, Asia Pacific is highly diverse. Countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Singapore dominate the top of both the general and personal safety rankings, in part because they have been continuously investing in infrastructure and public services. In general, the region has seen a greater focus on city planning. Nevertheless, many Asian cities rank at the bottom, mainly due to social instability, political turmoil, natural disasters such as typhoons and tsunamis, and lack of suitable infrastructure for expatriates.
Middle East and Africa
Dubai, UAE (74), ranks highest for quality of living across the Middle East and Africa and is followed by Abu Dhabi, UAE (78), Port Louis, Mauritius (82), and Cape Town, South Africa (88). Johannesburg ranks 94 and is followed by Victoria, Seychelles (95), Tel Aviv (99), Muscat, Oman (101), and Doha, Qatar (106). Africa has 18 cities in the bottom 25, including Bangui, Central African Republic (220), N’Djamena, Chad (219), Khartoum, Sudan (217), and Brazzaville, Congo (214). Baghdad (221) is the lowest-ranking city both regionally and globally.
At 23, Abu Dhabi has the highest personal safety ranking in the Middle East and is followed by Muscat (29), Dubai (39), and Doha (67). Port Louis (59) and Victoria (79) are the only African cities in the top 100. Elsewhere in the region, Tunis, Tunisia, ranks 140, Casablanca, Morocco, is at 147 and Cairo ranks 176. At 185, Algiers is followed by Tehran (188), and towards the bottom of the list is Tripoli (204). In terms of personal safety, Baghdad (221) is the lowest-ranking city regionally and globally, along with N’Djamena, Chad (220), Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (219), Bangui, Central African Republic (218), and Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (217).
City Mayors was told by Mercer that the recent wave of violent protests across North Africa and the Middle East has temporarily lowered living standards in the region. Many countries such as Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen have seen their quality of living levels drop considerably. "Political and economic reconstruction in these countries, combined with funding to serve basic human needs, will undoubtedly boost the region as a key player in the international arena. It is also worth noting that some of this region's cities, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Muscat, rank quite high on the personal safety list. This is mainly due to their internal stability and low crime levels."
The world's 'safest' cities
(Research criteria: Mercer’s Personal Safety Ranking 2011 is based on measures of internal stability, crime levels, law enforcement effectiveness and host country international relations)
Research
Research methodology
Mercer Consulting largely between September and November 2011 and is regularly updated to take account of changing circumstances. In particular, the assessments are revised in the case of significant political, economic and environmental developments.
Mercer evaluates local living conditions in all the 420 cities it surveys worldwide. Living conditions are analysed according to 39 factors, grouped in 10 categories:
1) Political and social environment (political stability, crime, law enforcement, etc)
2) Economic environment (currency exchange regulations, banking services, etc)
3) Socio-cultural environment (censorship, limitations on personal freedom, etc)
4) Health and sanitation (medical supplies and services, infectious diseases, sewage, waste disposal, air pollution, etc)
5) Schools and education (standard and availability of international schools, etc)
6) Public services and transportation (electricity, water, public transport, traffic congestion, etc)
7) Recreation (restaurants, theatres, cinemas, sports and leisure, etc)
8) Consumer goods (availability of food/daily consumption items, cars, etc)
9) Housing (housing, household appliances, furniture, maintenance services, etc)
10) Natural environment (climate, record of natural disasters)
The scores attributed to each factor allow for city-to-city comparisons. The result is a quality-of-living index that compares relative differences between any two locations. For the indices to be used effectively, Mercer has created a grid that allows users to link the resulting index to a quality-of-living allowance amount by recommending a percentage value in relation to the index.
Compared to 2010, the most prominent changes in Mercer's city rankings are: Munich up from 7th to 4th place; Geneva down from 3rd to 8th place; Hamburg up from 23rd to 16th place; Brussels down from 14th to 22nd place; Paris up from 34th to 30th place; Calgary down from 28th to 33rd place; Barcelona up from 44th to 40th place; Lisbon up from 45th to 41st place; Madrid up from 48th to 43rd place and Tokyo down from 40th to 46th place. Two other Japanese cities, Kobe and Yokohama, both dropped by seven places.
European cities represent over half the cities amongst the top 25 in the ranking. London (38) is the highest-ranking UK city and is followed by Birmingham (52), Aberdeen (54) and Glasgow (56). Belfast (63) is the lowest-ranking of the UK cities that Mercer surveys. Globally, the cities with the lowest quality of living are Khartoum, Sudan (217), Port-au-Prince, Haiti (218), N’Djamena, Chad (219), and Bangui, Central African Republic (220). Baghdad, Iraq (221) ranks last in Mercer’s table.
This year, the survey separately identifies those cities with the highest personal safety ranking
based on internal stability, crime levels, law enforcement
effectiveness and the host country’s international relations. Luxembourg
tops this personal safety ranking, followed by Bern, Helsinki and
Zurich – all ranked at number two. Vienna ranks fifth, while Geneva and
Stockholm both rank sixth. Baghdad (221) is the world’s least safe city,
followed by N’Djamena, Chad (220), Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire (219),
Bangui, Central African Republic (218), and Kinshasa, Democratic
Republic of the Congo (217).The world's best cities for quality of life
(New York City is the base city with a score of 100 points)
2011 Rank
|
2010 Rank
|
City
|
Country
|
1
|
1
|
Vienna | Austria |
2
|
2
|
Zurich | Switzerland |
3
|
=4
|
Auckland | New Zealand |
4
|
=7
|
Munich | Germany |
=5
|
6
|
Düsseldorf | Germany |
=5
|
=4
|
Vancouver | Canada |
7
|
=7
|
Frankfurt | Germany |
8
|
3
|
Geneva | Switzerland |
=9
|
9
|
Bern | Switzerland |
=9
|
11
|
Copenhagen | Denmark |
11
|
10
|
Sydney | Australia |
12
|
13
|
Amsterdam | Netherlands |
13
|
12
|
Wellington | New Zealand |
14
|
14
|
Ottawa | Canada |
15
|
16
|
Toronto | Canada |
16
|
23
|
Hamburg | Germany |
17
|
17
|
Berlin | Germany |
18
|
18
|
Melbourne | Australia |
19
|
19
|
Luxembourg | Luxembourg |
20
|
20
|
Stockholm | Sweden |
21
|
21
|
Perth | Australia |
=22
|
14
|
Brussels | Belgium |
=22
|
=21
|
Montreal | Canada |
24
|
-24
|
Nürnberg | Germany |
25
|
=28
|
Singapore | Singapore |
=26
|
=26
|
Canberra | Australia |
=26
|
=26
|
Dublin | Ireland |
28
|
30
|
Stuttgart | Germany |
29
|
31
|
Honolulu | USA |
=30
|
=32
|
Adelaide | Australia |
=30
|
34
|
Paris | France |
=30
|
=32
|
San Francisco | USA |
=33
|
=28
|
Calgary | Canada |
=33
|
=24
|
Oslo | Norway |
35
|
35
|
Helsinki | Finland |
36
|
37
|
Boston | USA |
37
|
36
|
Brisbane | Australia |
38
|
39
|
London | UK |
39
|
38
|
Lyon | France |
40
|
44
|
Barcelona | Spain |
41
|
=45
|
Lisbon | Portugal |
42
|
=41
|
Milan | Italy |
=43
|
=45
|
Chicago | USA |
=43
|
48
|
Madrid | Spain |
=43
|
=45
|
Washington DC | USA |
46
|
40
|
Tokyo | Japan |
47
|
49
|
New York City | USA |
48
|
50
|
Seattle | USA |
=49
|
=41
|
Kobe | Japan |
=49
|
-
|
Pittsburgh | USA |
=49
|
=41
|
Yokohama | Japan |
The EIU's list of 'best' cities in the world
The Americas
Canadian cities dominate the top of the ranking for this region. Vancouver (5) has the best quality of living and is followed by Ottawa (14), Toronto (15) and Montreal (22). Honolulu (29) and San Francisco (30) are the highest-ranking US cities. In Central and South America, Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe (63), ranks highest, followed by San Juan, Puerto Rico (72), and Montevideo, Uruguay (77). Port-au-Prince, Haiti (218), ranks lowest in the region.
Canadian cities also dominate the higher end of the personal safety ranking for this region, with Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver all ranked jointly at 17. In the United States, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston and San Francisco all rank 53. Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe (40), is again the highest-ranking city in Central and South America, followed by Nassau, Bahamas (66), San Juan, Puerto Rico (79), and Panama City, Panama (92). At the other end of the personal-safety scale, Caracas, Venezuela (205), Port-au-Prince, Haiti (202), Bogotá, Colombia (196), and Kingston, Jamaica (192), rank lowest in the region.
City Mayors was told that the disparity in living standards between North and South America were still considerable. "Though a number of South and Central American countries have experienced positive change, political and safety issues predominate in the region. In particular, drug trafficking, drugs cartels and high levels of street crime, combined with natural disasters, continue to impair the region’s quality of living,” the Mercer spokesman explained.
Europe
Vienna is the European city with the highest quality of living. German and Swiss cities dominate the top of the ranking, with three cities each in the top 10. Zurich (2) is followed by Munich (4), Düsseldorf (5), Frankfurt (7) and Geneva (8), while Bern shares ninth place with Copenhagen.
In the next tier are Amsterdam (12), Hamburg (16), Berlin (17), Luxembourg (19), Stockholm (20), Brussels (22), Nurnberg (24) and Dublin (26). Paris ranks 30 and is followed by Oslo (33), Helsinki (35) and London (38). Lisbon is number 41, Madrid is at 43 and Rome ranks 52. Prague, Czech Republic (69), is the highest-ranking eastern European city, followed by Budapest, Hungary (73), Ljubljana, Slovenia (75), Vilnius, Lithuania (79), and Warsaw, Poland (84). The lowest-ranking European city is Tbilisi, Georgia (214).
With seven cities in the top 10, European cities also fare well in the personal safety ranking. Luxembourg ranks highest, followed by Bern, Helsinki and Zurich, which all rank second. Vienna (5) is ahead of jointly ranked Geneva and Stockholm (6). Berlin ranked 36th, while London is in 68th place. A Mercer spokesman told City Mayors, that the August 2011 riots in London were noted but, because they only lasted a few days, had no impact on the UK capital's ranking. In Eastern Europe, Ljubljana (30) and Prague (47) rank highest for personal safety, whereas Moscow (199) and Tbilisi (215) rank lowest.
A Mercer spokesman said: “European cities in general continue to have high standards of living, because they enjoy advanced and modern city infrastructures combined with high-class medical, recreational and leisure facilities. But economic turmoil, high levels of unemployment and lack of confidence in political institutions make their future positions hard to predict. Countries such Austria, Germany and Switzerland still fare particularly well in both the quality of living and personal safety rankings, yet they are not immune from decreases in living standards if this uncertainty persists.”
Asia-Pacific
Auckland (3) is the highest-ranking city for quality of living in the Asia-Pacific region and is followed by Sydney (11), Wellington (13), Melbourne (18) and Perth (21). The highest-ranking Asian cities are Singapore (25) and Tokyo (46). Hong Kong (70), Kuala Lumpur (76), Seoul (80) and Taipei (85) are other major Asian cities ranked in the top 100. Meanwhile, Dhaka, Bangladesh (204), Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (206), and Dushanbe, Tajikistan (208), rank lowest in the region.
At 8, Singapore ranks highest for personal safety, followed by Auckland and Wellington – both ranked 9. Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney all rank 25, and all the Japanese cities on the list (Tokyo, Kobe, Nagoya, Osaka and Yokohama) rank 31. The region’s lowest-ranking city for personal safety is Karachi, Pakistan (216).
As a region, Asia Pacific is highly diverse. Countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Singapore dominate the top of both the general and personal safety rankings, in part because they have been continuously investing in infrastructure and public services. In general, the region has seen a greater focus on city planning. Nevertheless, many Asian cities rank at the bottom, mainly due to social instability, political turmoil, natural disasters such as typhoons and tsunamis, and lack of suitable infrastructure for expatriates.
Middle East and Africa
Dubai, UAE (74), ranks highest for quality of living across the Middle East and Africa and is followed by Abu Dhabi, UAE (78), Port Louis, Mauritius (82), and Cape Town, South Africa (88). Johannesburg ranks 94 and is followed by Victoria, Seychelles (95), Tel Aviv (99), Muscat, Oman (101), and Doha, Qatar (106). Africa has 18 cities in the bottom 25, including Bangui, Central African Republic (220), N’Djamena, Chad (219), Khartoum, Sudan (217), and Brazzaville, Congo (214). Baghdad (221) is the lowest-ranking city both regionally and globally.
At 23, Abu Dhabi has the highest personal safety ranking in the Middle East and is followed by Muscat (29), Dubai (39), and Doha (67). Port Louis (59) and Victoria (79) are the only African cities in the top 100. Elsewhere in the region, Tunis, Tunisia, ranks 140, Casablanca, Morocco, is at 147 and Cairo ranks 176. At 185, Algiers is followed by Tehran (188), and towards the bottom of the list is Tripoli (204). In terms of personal safety, Baghdad (221) is the lowest-ranking city regionally and globally, along with N’Djamena, Chad (220), Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (219), Bangui, Central African Republic (218), and Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (217).
City Mayors was told by Mercer that the recent wave of violent protests across North Africa and the Middle East has temporarily lowered living standards in the region. Many countries such as Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen have seen their quality of living levels drop considerably. "Political and economic reconstruction in these countries, combined with funding to serve basic human needs, will undoubtedly boost the region as a key player in the international arena. It is also worth noting that some of this region's cities, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Muscat, rank quite high on the personal safety list. This is mainly due to their internal stability and low crime levels."
The world's 'safest' cities
(Research criteria: Mercer’s Personal Safety Ranking 2011 is based on measures of internal stability, crime levels, law enforcement effectiveness and host country international relations)
2011 Rank
|
City
|
Country
|
1
|
Luxembourg | Luxembourg |
=2
|
Bern | Switzerland |
=2
|
Helsinki | Finland |
=2
|
Zurich | Switzerland |
5
|
Vienna | Austria |
=6
|
Geneva | Switzerland |
=6
|
Stockholm | Sweden |
8
|
Singapore | Singapore |
=9
|
Auckland | New Zealand |
=9
|
Wellington | New Zealand |
=11
|
Copenhagen | Denmark |
=11
|
Düsseldorf | Germany |
=11
|
Frankfurt | Germany |
=11
|
Munich | Germany |
=11
|
Nürnberg | Germany |
16
|
Dublin | Ireland |
=17
|
Amsterdam | Netherlands |
=17
|
Calgary | Canada |
=17
|
Montreal | Canada |
=17
|
Ottawa | Canada |
=17
|
Toronto | Canada |
Research methodology
Mercer Consulting largely between September and November 2011 and is regularly updated to take account of changing circumstances. In particular, the assessments are revised in the case of significant political, economic and environmental developments.
Mercer evaluates local living conditions in all the 420 cities it surveys worldwide. Living conditions are analysed according to 39 factors, grouped in 10 categories:
1) Political and social environment (political stability, crime, law enforcement, etc)
2) Economic environment (currency exchange regulations, banking services, etc)
3) Socio-cultural environment (censorship, limitations on personal freedom, etc)
4) Health and sanitation (medical supplies and services, infectious diseases, sewage, waste disposal, air pollution, etc)
5) Schools and education (standard and availability of international schools, etc)
6) Public services and transportation (electricity, water, public transport, traffic congestion, etc)
7) Recreation (restaurants, theatres, cinemas, sports and leisure, etc)
8) Consumer goods (availability of food/daily consumption items, cars, etc)
9) Housing (housing, household appliances, furniture, maintenance services, etc)
10) Natural environment (climate, record of natural disasters)
The scores attributed to each factor allow for city-to-city comparisons. The result is a quality-of-living index that compares relative differences between any two locations. For the indices to be used effectively, Mercer has created a grid that allows users to link the resulting index to a quality-of-living allowance amount by recommending a percentage value in relation to the index.
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