London ranks 38th in tale of 221 world cities
A quality of life index ranks London top among British cities. But the UK capital can only manage 38th position compared to its international rivals, with Vienna claiming top spot.
The Austrian capital has held top spot for the past three years in the Mercer Quality of Living rankings. Second in 2011 was Zurich, in neighbouring Switzerland, while Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, came third.
London is the only British city in the top 50, with Birmingham at 52, Aberdeen at 54, Glasgow at 56 and Belfast at 63.
The 2011 Quality of Living worldwide city rankings use 10 categories to measure living standards, including political and economic stability, culture, health and sanitation, quality of schools, public services and housing.
Milan Taylor, UK head of data and product services for Mercer, the consultancy which produces the rankings, said: “All UK cities rank fairly high for personal safety. The UK’s good international relations and stable internal political situation allow for a relatively secure environment for expatriates.”
He said that most UK cities have witnessed “minor improvements” in their position since 2010 – mainly due to other cities moving down the list and pushing UK cities up.
Read more: London prepares for the 2012 Olympics
Global divide
European cities represent more than half of the cities in the top 25. Germany and Switzerland each have three cities in the top 10. France has two cities in the top 50, with Paris ranked 30th and Lyon 39th.
Canada dominates the rankings for cities from North, Central and South America, with Vancouver at fifth, Ottawa at 14th, Toronto at 15th and Montreal at 22nd. The top-ranking US cities were Honolulu (29) and San Francisco (joint 30).
Most low-scoring cities in the list are in countries with civil unrest, high crime levels and little law enforcement. Bottom of the list of 221 cities across the globe is Baghad, in Iraq. Six out of the bottom 10 cities – Bangui, N’Djamena, Khartoum, Brazzaville, Abidjan, and Nouakchott – are African.
Top 10 cities
1. Vienna (Austria)
2. Zurich (Switzerland)
3. Auckland (New Zealand)
4. Munich (Germany)
5. Dusseldorf (Germany)
5. Vancouver (Canada)
7. Frankfurt (Germany)
8. Geneva (Switzerland)
9. Bern (Switzerland)
9. Copenhagen (Denmark)
Mercer Quality of Living Survey 2011