THE 21st Mercer’s Quality of Living index has been released and the Austrian capital of Vienna has topped the rankings again.
In the UK, London has the best quality of life – though the best in the British Isles is Dublin.
The annual index from consulting firm Mercer looked at 450 cities around the world and rated them according to various factors, including levels of crime, the amount of air pollution and things to do for fun.
Based on these factors, the cities are then ranked, giving a quality of life index.
Vienna has ranked in the number one position for the last ten years while cities in Germany and Switzerland dominate the top ten.
The British Isles doesn’t make it into the top ten at all, with Dublin coming in highest at number 33.
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The factors used to rank the cities
- Political and social environment (political stability, crime, law enforcement, etc.).
- Economic environment (currency exchange regulations, banking services).
- Socio-cultural environment (media availability and censorship, limitations on personal freedom).
- Medical and health considerations (medical supplies and services, infectious diseases, sewage, waste disposal, air pollution).
- Schools and education (standards and availability of international schools).
- Public services and transportation (electricity, water, public transportation, traffic congestion, etc.).
- Recreation (restaurants, theatres, cinemas, sports and leisure).
- Consumer goods (availability of food/daily consumption items, cars).
- Housing (rental housing, household appliances, furniture, maintenance services).
- Natural environment (climate, record of natural disasters).
London has the best quality of life in the UK at number 41, followed by Edinburgh at 45, Glasgow at 48 and Birmingham at 49.
In North America, Canadian cities generally ranked better than American ones, with Vancouver coming in at an impress number three.
For US cities, San Francisco is top at number 34, while New York is much further down at 44.
In Asia, Singapore came up top at number 25, following by Tokyo in Japan at a joint 49 with Kobe.
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Cities with the highest quality of living
1. Vienna, Austria
2. Zurich, Switzerland
3. Vancouver, Canada
3. Munich, Germany
3. Auckland, New Zealand
6. Dusseldorf, Germany
7. Frankfurt, Germany
8. Copenhagen, Denmark
9. Geneva, Switzerland
10. Basel, Switzerland
Mercer also released a separate ranking of the safest cities in the world.
Topping this list was Luxembourg, which came in at number 18 in the quality of life index.
The safety index was also dominated by Switzerland, with Basel, Bern, Zurich and Geneva all coming in the top ten.
Safest cities in the world
1. Luxembourg, Luxembourg
2. Basel, Switzerland
2. Bern, Switzerland
2. Helsinki, Finland
2. Zurich, Switzerland
6. Vienna, Austria
7. Geneva, Switzerland
7. Oslow, Norway
9. Auckland, New Zealand
9. Wellington, New Zealand
Earlier this year, Sun Online revealed some of the best places to live in the UK.
Number one was Orkney in Scotland, thanks to its breathtaking landscapes, high employment levels and low crime rates.
And last year, Slough was voted the best place to live and work in the UK.
