Latest Global Quality of Life Survey Results: Geneva and Zurich Score Highest; Baghdad Scores Lowest

In Mercer Human Resource Consulting’s latest Global Quality of Life Survey, Switzerland’s Geneva and Zurich remain the world’s top-scoring cities for overall quality of life, with Vancouver and Vienna sharing third place. Luxembourg was ranked the world’s top city for personal safety and security, followed by Helsinki, Bern, Geneva and Zurich.

Not surprisingly, the world’s least secure city is Baghdad, due to ongoing civil unrest and threats of attack. Other low-ranking cities include Abidjan in the Ivory Coast, Bangui in Central African Republic and Port Harcourt and Lagos in Nigeria. These countries continue to experience political turmoil and low economic growth.

New York was used as the base score for quality of life. Scores for personal safety and security are based on relationships with other countries, internal stability and crime, including terrorism. Law enforcement, censorship and limitations on personal freedom are also taken into account. The analysis is part of a worldwide quality-of-life survey covering 215 cities to help governments and major companies place employees on international assignments.

Rankings for Overall Quality of Life

Mercer’s study is based on detailed assessments and evaluations of 39 key quality of life determinants, grouped within the following categories:

• Political and social environment
• Economic environment
• Socio-cultural environment
• Medical and health considerations
• Schools and education
• Public services and transportation
• Recreation
• Consumer goods
• Housing
• Natural environment

Top Cities:

• Geneva and Zurich remain the world’s top-scoring cities.
• Vancouver and Vienna share third place.
• Cities in Europe, New Zealand and Australia continue to rank high. Munich and Düsseldorf both moved up the rankings, from 10th and 12th place, respectively, to share fifth place with Frankfurt. Munich’s rise is due to more efficient waste removal systems and better housing for expatriates, while Düsseldorf’s transportation and standards of international schooling have improved. Bern, Copenhagen, and Sydney are down slightly, ranking 8th
• In the U.S., Honolulu and San Francisco rank highest in 25th place, due to lower crime levels than other U.S. cities. Boston, New York, Portland and Washington follow in 36th, 39th, 42nd, and 42nd places, respectively. Houston ranks lowest in 68th place.

Lowest-scoring cities:

• Baghdad remains the world’s least attractive city for expatriates, due to the recurring threat of attacks against people, multinational organizations, and government institutions in the area.
• Other low-scoring cities include Bangui in the Central African Republic, Brazzaville in Congo and Khartoum in Sudan.

Western Europe

Many Western European cities appear at the top of the rankings. Luxembourg scores highest for personal safety and security followed by Swiss and Scandinavian cities. Other high-scoring cities include Vienna, ranked 6th, followed by Düsseldorf, Munich, Nürnberg, Frankfurt and Oslo sharing 8th place.

In contrast, Athens, Rome, and London appear at the lower end of the rankings for this region, at positions 83, 74, and 69, respectively, due to high levels of petty crime. Madrid also scores relatively low, sharing 69th place with London, due to terrorism.

Eastern Europe

Eastern European cities generally rank lower than those in Western Europe. Ljubljana in Slovenia scores highest for personal safety and security, in 41st place, followed by Bratislava in Slovakia and Prague in the Czech Republic, both in 58th place. Russian cities also score poorly, due to high crime rates, economic turmoil and lack of internal stability. Moscow, Novosibirsk, Kazan and St. Petersburg place 198, 179, 179 and 175.

North America

All of the Canadian cities covered by the survey appear in the top 20 rankings for personal safety and security. Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver rank 18th.

In the U.S., Honolulu, Houston, San Francisco and Winston-Salem rank highest, in 45th place. Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Portland and New York all follow in 58th place. The lowest-scoring city in North America is Atlanta, at number 90, due to street crime and burglary.

In Mexico, Monterrey and Mexico City rank 87 and 126, respectively.

South America

Cities in South America end up much lower in the rankings than those in North America. Growing unemployment and political instability in these regions have led to high crime levels. Santiago in Chile ranks highest in 94th place. Buenos Aires in Argentina ranks 115 with a score of 77.5, while Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil rank 148th and 167th, respectively (with scores of 63.5 and 56). Bogotá and Medellin in Colombia and Caracas in Venezuela rank lowest in positions 210, 205, and 193, respectively (with scores of 33, 37.5, and 48) due to crime, including kidnappings. According to Ms. Powers, “As globalization increases, security and good international relations become more critical to overall quality of living standards around the world.”

Further information and copies of the reports are available from Mercer Global Information Services at 800 333 3070 or at www.imercer.com/qol

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