Copenhagen ranked most liveable city for Europeans

Cities in the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Switzerland top the rankings

Cathy Adams
Wednesday 13 February 2019 17:42 GMT
Comments
Copenhagen has been ranked the best liveable city for European expats
Copenhagen has been ranked the best liveable city for European expats

Copenhagen has been voted the most liveable city for Europeans in new research released today.

Cities in Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Switzerland dominate the top 20 cities for European expats, according to data from consultancy ECA International.

In the UK, Edinburgh is the only city that ranks in the top 20, while Aberdeen came in at number 21.

Dublin re-entered the top 10 this year, ranking in joint ninth place with Gothenburg and Luxembourg City.

Elsewhere in the UK, London and Glasgow were ranked poorly for liveability factors, coming in 49th and 57th respectively.

Outside Europe, Canadian cities ranked highly, as did Canberra in Australia and New Zealand capital Wellington. Singapore was the only Asian city in the top 100.

“Edinburgh and Aberdeen lead the way for UK cities in terms of liveability due to a range of factors including lower air pollution and a greater level of personal security,” said Neil Ashman, senior location ratings analyst at ECA International.

“However, what really makes these two cities outshine others in the UK is the existing expat community. This is an important factor in the liveability analysis as a solid network of expatriates will help newcomers feel less isolated and reduces the anticipated culture shock for workers who relocate from overseas.”

Ashman added: “Cities in Scandinavia, Switzerland and the Netherlands have offered good liveability across the board for many years now; with factors such as excellent infrastructure, reliable transport systems, and a high level of healthcare all contributing to their consistently excellent liveability score.”

Ashman said that London’s liveability score had remained steady, despite “higher air pollution and crime levels in the past year”. He added that smaller cities generally outperform bigger ones in terms of liveability.

ECA ranks 480 cities around the world on a variety of “liveability” factors including health services, housing, social life and climate.

Top 20 most liveable cities for Europeans

1. Copenhagen, Denmark

1. Bern, Switzerland

3. The Hague, Netherlands

3. Geneva, Switzerland

5. Stavanger, Norway

6. Amsterdam, Netherlands

6. Eindhoven, Netherlands

6. Basel, Switzerland

9. Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

9. Gothenburg, Sweden

9. Dublin, Ireland

12. Aarhus, Denmark

12. Rotterdam, Netherlands

14. Zurich, Switzerland

15. Bonn, Germany

15. Munich, Germany

17. Vienna, Austria

17. Hamburg, Germany

19. Stockholm, Sweden

19. Edinburgh, UK

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in