We may all think that the city we live in is the most livable in the world, but how does where you live perform in actual studies? Mercer's 18th annual Quality of Life Survey has the answer, with recently released data containing everything we could possibly want to know about which cities in the world are the best to live in. The company created the survey to provide companies with resources to determine fair compensation for employees assigned to international assignments; therefore, Mercer uses a comprehensive methodology covering 230 locations around the world. The locations were assessed across 39 dimensions of life, including public transport, health, recreation, crime rates, housing and the natural environment. These factors were then compared across all cities to form a ranking from most to least desirable.
IIya Bonic, senior partner in Mercer's talent practice, commented in the company's press release that this year, safety is one of the top concerns for companies around the world when it comes to employee placement. “Intensified domestic and global security threats, population displacement due to violence, and social unrest in major business centers around the world are all compounding the complex challenges that multinational companies face when analyzing the safety and health of their expatriate employees,” she said.
Want to know which cities rank highest? Let’s take a look at the seven most livable cities in the world, according to Mercer’s findings. To see the full methodology and city rankings, be sure to head over to Mercer to read the full Quality of Life report.
7. Frankfurt, Germany
According to Mercer, Frankfurt ranks seventh among the best cities in the world in terms of quality of life. The city also ranked 11th in personal safety rankings, making it a place that most people should be able to explore easily.
6. Dusseldorf, Germany
Another German city makes the list, with the town of Dusseldorf in sixth place. If you know nothing about Dusseldorf, it is clearly the center of aviation innovation, with a very active nightlife, magnificent museums and stunning architecture. If you're heading to Europe, this might be a place worth considering visiting.
5. Vancouver, Canada
Fifth place goes to Vancouver, one of three cities in Canada ranked highly for quality of life. (The other two cities were Toronto and Ottawa, which ranked 15th and 17th, respectively.) It's also worth noting that Canadian cities ranked highly overall in the personal safety category, while no U.S. cities made it to the top. 50.Maybe it’s time for us to pack up and head north!
4. Munich, Germany
Munich's quality of life seems to be something to watch out for, and not just according to Mercer: Another quality of life assessment by Numbeo also gave them a "very high" score in this area. Factors of particular note in their report include personal safety, healthcare and affordability, making Munich an all-around ideal place to call home.
3. Auckland, New Zealand
Mercer noted that New Zealand has "the best quality of life in the world", which explains why it received third place in the ranking. This is also the fourth year in a row that Oakland has finished third in the Mercer Quality of Life Survey, establishing the city as a stabilizing force for high quality of life.
2. Zurich, Switzerland
If democratic socialism appeals to you, then maybe you should consider moving to Zurich; the Swiss city ranks second in the world for quality of life, according to Mercer research. After all, there might be something to this whole democratic socialism thing promoted by Bernie Sanders.
1. Vienna, Austria
The most livable city in the world is…drumroll please…Vienna! Mercer found that this Austrian city is the best place to call home if you want to enjoy the highest standard of living in the world. In fact, Vienna first topped the list seven years ago and this is the eighth consecutive year it has topped the list. So the quality of life in Vienna seems to be ahead of all other cities in the world and maybe we should all try to go to the Austrian capital for international work assignments.
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