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2007 World-Wide Quality of Living Survey |
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Contributed by J. R. Ransom
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 Zurich, Switzerland
Calgary scores
highest for health and sanitation; Baku in Azerbaijan scores lowest.
Cities in Western Europe, North America, Australasia and Japan dominate
the top of the rankings. Zurich scores highest for overall quality of
living; Baghdad ranks lowest (see more on the overall rankings).
The 2007 Worldwide Quality of Living Survey by Mercer Human Resource
Consulting has found that four of the world’s five
top-scoring cities for health and sanitation are in North America.
Calgary ranks top with a score of 131.7, followed by Honolulu, which
scores 130.3. Helsinki – the only European city in the top
five – follows closely in the rankings with a score of 128.5.
Ottawa and Minneapolis take fourth and fifth places with scores of
127.2 and 125.7 respectively.
Scores are based on the quality and availability of hospital and
medical supplies and levels of air pollution and infectious diseases.
The efficiency of waste removal and sewage systems, water potability
and the presence of harmful animals and insects are also taken into
account.
Cities are ranked against New York as the base city which has an index
score of 100. The analysis is part of Mercer’s Worldwide
Quality of Living Survey, covering 215 cities, which is conducted to
help governments and major companies to place employees on
international assignments.
“Companies managing a global workforce must take into account
a range of factors when structuring remuneration packages for their
expatriate employees,” said Yvonne Sonsino, principal at
Mercer. “Organisations can struggle to find suitably
qualified local staff when operating overseas and so rely on benchmark
data to ensure the rewards they offer encourage employees with
transferable skills to accept international assignments.”
The lowest-ranking city for health and sanitation is Baku in
Azerbaijan, which scores just 27.6. Other low-scoring cities include
Dhaka in Bangladesh, Antananarivo in Madagascar and Port Au Prince in
Haiti, which score 29.6, 30.1 and 34 respectively.
“Poor countries often lack adequate medical infrastructure
including hospitals and health networks. Furthermore, provision of care
is hampered by poor sanitation and unsafe water facilities in many
areas,” said Slagin Parakatil, senior researcher at
Mercer. “The development of efficient waste removal
and sewage systems, coupled with government investment in medical
infrastructure, will be key to avoiding pandemic outbreaks of diseases
and for improving general living standards.”
Europe, Middle East and
Africa health and sanitation rankings
Almost half of the 30 top-scoring cities surveyed are in Western
Europe. Helsinki has the highest score for the region, at position 3
with a rating of 128.5. Oslo, Stockholm and Zurich all rank 6th with a
score of 125. London is ranked 63 with a score of 111.2.
Most Eastern European cities have relatively low scores, except for
Prague in the Czech Republic which scores highest, at position 75 with
a score of 101.3. Russian cities have the poorest scores in this area.
Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk and Kazan take positions 201,184,
182 and 174 respectively with ratings of 43.4, 50.5, 51.1 and 54.
Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the highest-ranking Middle Eastern cities and
share position 58 with a score of 112.9. African cities typically rank
in lower positions than their European and Middle Eastern counterparts,
with many appearing in the 20 bottom-scoring cities.
“The availability of public and private hospital care,
together with modern medical infrastructure, means healthcare standards
in Europe are generally very high. Medical provision in the
Middle East, especially the United Arab Emirates, has also benefited
from substantial government investment,” said Mr.
Parakatil. “In impoverished countries - where
medical care and sanitation are often poor - it can be advisable for
expatriates to seek private treatment.”
Americas health and
sanitation rankings
All of the Canadian cities covered by the survey appear in the top 25
rankings for health and sanitation. Calgary is followed by Ottawa in
position 4 with a score of 127.2. Montreal and Vancouver both
rank in 10th place (score 123.7). Toronto is at position 21 with a
rating of 122.4.
In the US, Honolulu ranks highest followed by Minneapolis in 5th place
scoring 125.7. Boston, Lexington and Pittsburgh rank joint 10th with a
score of 123.7. Mexico City scores poorly at
position 211 with a rating of 37.7; geographical issues and a high
level of air pollution explain this low ranking. Other low-scoring
cities in North America are Atlanta and Houston, in positions 96 and
103 respectively with scores of 92.3 and 85.2.
Mr. Parakatil said: “Growing traffic congestion, industrial
plants and other pollutants reduce air quality in some American cities,
which may undermine the otherwise pleasant living standards.”
Cities in Central and South America tend to feature much lower in the
rankings than those in North America. San Juan in Puerto Rico ranks
highest in 67th place (score 108.9). Port Au Prince is the
lowest-ranking city in the region, in position 212 with an index of 34.
Asia-Pacific health and
sanitation rankings
Auckland and Wellington in New Zealand rank in joint 18th place, with a
rating of 123.1. All the Australian cities covered by the survey rank
higher than New York, the base city. Adelaide is the
highest-scoring city in Australia at position 35 (score 119.5) while
Sydney is the lowest in 62nd place (score 111.3).
Japan is home to the five highest-rated cities in Asia.
Katsuyama leads in 9th position with a score of 123.8, followed by Kobe
and Omuta in joint 25th place (score 122). Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka come
in joint 53rd place and score 113.5.
Elsewhere in this region, Singapore ranks in 50th place with a score of
114, while Hong Kong is at position 117 and scores 80.8.
Shanghai and Beijing are China’s highest and lowest-ranking
cities in 134th and 166th place respectively (scoring 73.8 and 60.3).
Modernisation of medical infrastructure has improved living standards
in these Chinese cities. However, air pollution and inadequate waste
removal and sewage systems are still a concern – particularly
in Beijing.
Indian cities score relatively poorly for health and sanitation, with
scores ranging from 52.8 for Chennai (position 177) to 38.2 for Mumbai
(position 209). Most Indian cities are densely populated with poor
waste removal and sewage systems. These issues, combined with
increasing air pollution, contribute to their relatively low ratings.
“Expatriates on assignment in some locations - for example
Africa, the Middle East and some parts of Asia, Europe and Latin
America - can face harsher living conditions and lower standards of
medical care and facilities than they are accustomed to,”
commented Mr Parakatil. “The threat of infectious diseases
and environmental risks are very real in some cities and should be
taken into account. Migration and mobility can exacerbate the
transmission of diseases, and this should be a top concern for
employers managing international assignments.”
Rankings for overall quality of living
Mercer’s overall ranking for quality of living has revealed
that Zurich again ranks as the world’s top city, with a
rating of 108.1. The city narrowly out-ranks Geneva, which scores 108.
Vancouver and Vienna follow in joint third place and score 107.7.
Cities in Europe and Australiasia continue to dominate the top end of
the rankings for overall quality of living. Auckland and
Düsseldorf share joint fifth place and score 107.3 points.
Frankfurt and Munich follow with scores of 107.1 and 106.9
respectively. Bern and Sydney both score 106.5 points and share joint
9th place.
The analysis is based on an evaluation of 39 quality of living criteria
for each city including political, social, economic and environmental
factors, personal safety and health, education, transport and other
public services.
Baghdad remains the world’s least enticing city for
expatriates with a score of 14.5. Other low-scoring cities
for overall quality of living include Brazzaville in Congo (29.5),
Bangui in the Central African Republic (30.6) and Khartoum in Sudan
(31).
Mr. Parakatil concluded: “In recent years, the gap between
low-ranking and high-ranking cities has widened. While standards have
improved in some regions, there remains a stark contrast between those
cities where overall quality of living is good and those experiencing
political and economic turmoil.”
Data was largely collected between September and November 2006 and is
regularly updated to take account of changing circumstances. In
particular, the assessments will be revised in the case of any new
developments. The Mercer database contains more than 350
cities, however only 215 cities have been considered for the quality of
living 2007 ranking in order to compare from one year to the next.
The worldwide rankings are produced from the most recent Worldwide
Quality of Living survey, conducted by Mercer Human Resource
Consulting. Individual reports are produced for each city surveyed, but
please note that there is no overall summary report available. The cost
of comparative quality of living indexes between a base city and a host
city is 300 Euros (multiple city comparisons are available). Further
information and copies of the reports are available from Mercer Client
Services, on +41 22 869 3000.
Mercer’s study
is based on detailed assessments and evaluations of 39 key quality of
living determinants, grouped in the following categories:
-
Political and social environment
(political stability, crime, law enforcement, etc)
-
Economic environment
(currency exchange regulations, banking services, etc)
-
Socio-cultural environment
(censorship, limitations on personal freedom, etc)
-
Health and sanitation
(medical supplies and services, infectious diseases, sewage, waste
disposal, air pollution, etc)
-
Schools and education
(standard and availability of international schools, etc)
-
Public services and transportation
(electricity, water, public transport, traffic congestion, etc)
-
Recreation (restaurants,
theatres, cinemas, sports and leisure, etc)
-
Consumer goods
(availability of food/daily consumption items, cars, etc)
-
Housing (housing, household
appliances, furniture, maintenance services, etc)
-
Natural environment
(climate, record of natural disasters)
See the rankings, here: Europe, Middle East and
Africa health and sanitation rankings
Almost half of the 30 top-scoring cities surveyed are in Western
Europe. Helsinki has the highest score for the region, at position 3
with a rating of 128.5. Oslo, Stockholm and Zurich all rank 6th with a
score of 125. London is ranked 63 with a score of 111.2.
Most Eastern European cities have relatively low scores, except for
Prague in the Czech Republic which scores highest, at position 75 with
a score of 101.3. Russian cities have the poorest scores in this area.
Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk and Kazan take positions 201,184,
182 and 174 respectively with ratings of 43.4, 50.5, 51.1 and 54.
Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the highest-ranking Middle Eastern cities and
share position 58 with a score of 112.9. African cities typically rank
in lower positions than their European and Middle Eastern counterparts,
with many appearing in the 20 bottom-scoring cities.
“The availability of public and private hospital care,
together with modern medical infrastructure, means healthcare standards
in Europe are generally very high. Medical provision in the
Middle East, especially the United Arab Emirates, has also benefited
from substantial government investment,” said Mr.
Parakatil. “In impoverished countries - where
medical care and sanitation are often poor - it can be advisable for
expatriates to seek private treatment.”
Americas health and
sanitation rankings
All of the Canadian cities covered by the survey appear in the top 25
rankings for health and sanitation. Calgary is followed by Ottawa in
position 4 with a score of 127.2. Montreal and Vancouver both
rank in 10th place (score 123.7). Toronto is at position 21 with a
rating of 122.4.
In the US, Honolulu ranks highest followed by Minneapolis in 5th place
scoring 125.7. Boston, Lexington and Pittsburgh rank joint 10th with a
score of 123.7. Mexico City scores poorly at
position 211 with a rating of 37.7; geographical issues and a high
level of air pollution explain this low ranking. Other low-scoring
cities in North America are Atlanta and Houston, in positions 96 and
103 respectively with scores of 92.3 and 85.2.
Mr. Parakatil said: “Growing traffic congestion, industrial
plants and other pollutants reduce air quality in some American cities,
which may undermine the otherwise pleasant living standards.”
Cities in Central and South America tend to feature much lower in the
rankings than those in North America. San Juan in Puerto Rico ranks
highest in 67th place (score 108.9). Port Au Prince is the
lowest-ranking city in the region, in position 212 with an index of 34.
Asia-Pacific health and
sanitation rankings
Auckland and Wellington in New Zealand rank in joint 18th place, with a
rating of 123.1. All the Australian cities covered by the survey rank
higher than New York, the base city. Adelaide is the
highest-scoring city in Australia at position 35 (score 119.5) while
Sydney is the lowest in 62nd place (score 111.3).
Japan is home to the five highest-rated cities in Asia.
Katsuyama leads in 9th position with a score of 123.8, followed by Kobe
and Omuta in joint 25th place (score 122). Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka come
in joint 53rd place and score 113.5.
Elsewhere in this region, Singapore ranks in 50th place with a score of
114, while Hong Kong is at position 117 and scores 80.8.
Shanghai and Beijing are China’s highest and lowest-ranking
cities in 134th and 166th place respectively (scoring 73.8 and 60.3).
Modernisation of medical infrastructure has improved living standards
in these Chinese cities. However, air pollution and inadequate waste
removal and sewage systems are still a concern – particularly
in Beijing.
Indian cities score relatively poorly for health and sanitation, with
scores ranging from 52.8 for Chennai (position 177) to 38.2 for Mumbai
(position 209). Most Indian cities are densely populated with poor
waste removal and sewage systems. These issues, combined with
increasing air pollution, contribute to their relatively low ratings.
“Expatriates on assignment in some locations - for example
Africa, the Middle East and some parts of Asia, Europe and Latin
America - can face harsher living conditions and lower standards of
medical care and facilities than they are accustomed to,”
commented Mr Parakatil. “The threat of infectious diseases
and environmental risks are very real in some cities and should be
taken into account. Migration and mobility can exacerbate the
transmission of diseases, and this should be a top concern for
employers managing international assignments.”
Rankings for overall quality of living
Mercer’s overall ranking for quality of living has revealed
that Zurich again ranks as the world’s top city, with a
rating of 108.1. The city narrowly out-ranks Geneva, which scores 108.
Vancouver and Vienna follow in joint third place and score 107.7.
Cities in Europe and Australiasia continue to dominate the top end of
the rankings for overall quality of living. Auckland and
Düsseldorf share joint fifth place and score 107.3 points.
Frankfurt and Munich follow with scores of 107.1 and 106.9
respectively. Bern and Sydney both score 106.5 points and share joint
9th place.
The analysis is based on an evaluation of 39 quality of living criteria
for each city including political, social, economic and environmental
factors, personal safety and health, education, transport and other
public services.
Baghdad remains the world’s least enticing city for
expatriates with a score of 14.5. Other low-scoring cities
for overall quality of living include Brazzaville in Congo (29.5),
Bangui in the Central African Republic (30.6) and Khartoum in Sudan
(31).
Mr. Parakatil concluded: “In recent years, the gap between
low-ranking and high-ranking cities has widened. While standards have
improved in some regions, there remains a stark contrast between those
cities where overall quality of living is good and those experiencing
political and economic turmoil.”
Data was largely collected between September and November 2006 and is
regularly updated to take account of changing circumstances. In
particular, the assessments will be revised in the case of any new
developments. The Mercer database contains more than 350
cities, however only 215 cities have been considered for the quality of
living 2007 ranking in order to compare from one year to the next.
The worldwide rankings are produced from the most recent Worldwide
Quality of Living survey, conducted by Mercer Human Resource
Consulting. Individual reports are produced for each city surveyed, but
please note that there is no overall summary report available. The cost
of comparative quality of living indexes between a base city and a host
city is 300 Euros (multiple city comparisons are available). Further
information and copies of the reports are available from Mercer Client
Services, on +41 22 869 3000.
Mercer’s study
is based on detailed assessments and evaluations of 39 key quality of
living determinants, grouped in the following categories:
-
Political and social environment
(political stability, crime, law enforcement, etc)
-
Economic environment
(currency exchange regulations, banking services, etc)
-
Socio-cultural environment
(censorship, limitations on personal freedom, etc)
-
Health and sanitation
(medical supplies and services, infectious diseases, sewage, waste
disposal, air pollution, etc)
-
Schools and education
(standard and availability of international schools, etc)
-
Public services and transportation
(electricity, water, public transport, traffic congestion, etc)
-
Recreation (restaurants,
theatres, cinemas, sports and leisure, etc)
-
Consumer goods
(availability of food/daily consumption items, cars, etc)
-
Housing (housing, household
appliances, furniture, maintenance services, etc)
-
Natural environment
(climate, record of natural disasters)
Check out the rankings at:mercerhr.com
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