In news: Global consulting firm Mercer has released its annual quality of living survey in which 231 cities across the globe were ranked based on various factors. This is the 21st edition.
What Factors Determine Quality of Living?
These factors are evaluated in Mercer’s Quality of Living Reports, which offer city-to-city comparisons for nearly 500 global assignment destinations.
- Recreation Public services and transport.
- Socio-cultural environment.
- School and education.
- Medical and health considerations.
- Political and social environment.
- Natural environment.
- Housing
- Economic environment.
- Consumer goods availability.
Highlights of the report:
- Globally, Vienna tops the ranking for the 10th year running, closely followed by Zurich, the runner-up.
- This year, Mercer provides a separate ranking on personal safety. Western Europe dominates the ranking, with Luxembourg named as the safest city in the world.
- London has been named the UK’s best city to live in.
- Indian cities: Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu is ranked at 105 in Mercer’s Quality Of Living Index and is the number one city from India. Bengaluru was the second best with the ranking of 149.
Key observations:
- Trade tensions and populist undercurrents continue to dominate the global economic climate. Combined with the spectre of monetary policy tightening and volatility looming over markets, international businesses are under more pressure than ever to get their overseas operations right.
- The survey shows that many cities around the world still offer attractive environments in which to do business, and the best understand that the quality of living is an essential component of a city’s attractiveness for businesses and mobile talent.
- Many cities had seen an improvement, but terror attacks in the last ten years have caused cities including Athens, Madrid and Paris to slide down the table.
Sources: the hindu.
Wisdom IAS 
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