The study is based on factors such as political,
social, economic and environmental criteria,
personal safety and public services such as
health care, education, training, traffic and
transportation.
European cities dominate in quality
of life index
Vienna remained at the top of Mercer’s Quality
of Living Rankings in 2015, boasting the
best quality of living for expatriates. Mercer’s
Quality of Living Rankings cover 230 cities for
globally mobile talent and are based on their
Quality of Living Survey.
Despite concerns about economic growth,
the cities of Western Europe continue to offer
a stable environment for employees and
employers.
After Vienna (No. 1), Zurich (No. 2) and Munich
(No. 4), four more European cities finished
in the Top 10: Düsseldorf (6), Frankfurt (7),
Geneva (8) and Copenhagen (9).
London was the UK’s top-ranking city, placing
No. 40, followed by Birmingham (52), Glasgow
(55), Aberdeen (57) and Belfast (63).
Cities in Central and Eastern Europe have a
wider range of quality-of-living standards.
The highest-ranking cities are Prague (68),
Budapest and Ljubljana (both 75). The region’s
lower-ranking cities are Kiev (176), Tirana (180)
and Minsk (189). Kiev suffered a dramatic drop
in the ratings due to the political instability
and violence occurring in Ukraine.
European cities generally ranked high due
to health care, infrastructure and recreation.
Political stability and relatively low crime levels
enable expatriates to feel safe and secure in
most locations.
The annual survey ranks 230 cities based on
39 criteria from personal safety to quality of
public transport, physical environment and
socio-cultural environment.
332
Dubai expats enjoy best quality of
life in region
Dubai continues its 10-year reign as enjoying
the best living standard in the Middle East and
Africa, according to the 2015 Mercer Quality of
Living Index. Abu Dhabi sits right behind.
Worldwide, Dubai ranks No. 74 out of the 230
ranked cities, with Abu Dhabi at 77. The United
Arab Emirates cities are followed by Port Louis,
Mauritius, at No. 82. In South Africa, Durban
ranks 85th worldwide, ahead of the business
centres of Cape Town (91) and Johannesburg
(94). Durban fares better due mainly to its high
quality housing, plentiful recreational facilities
and consumer goods availability. The city’s
crime rate keeps it out of the Top 50.
Dubai has been transformed from a sleepy
trading port into a multicultural hub, with
excellent ratings for social, economic, commercial business and tourism activities. More than
200 nationalities are represented in the city.
At 230th, Baghdad is the lowest ranking city
not only in the region, but also last on the
worldwide list.