- Vienna takes the top spot, Baghdad
ranks lowest
- San Francisco is the top-ranked US
city, Detroit ranks lowest
Vienna is the city with the world’s best quality of living,
according to the Mercer 2014 Quality of Living rankings in which
European cities dominate. Zurich and Auckland follow in second and
third place, respectively. Munich is in fourth place, followed by
Vancouver, which is also the highest-ranking city in North America.
Ranking 25 globally, Singapore is the highest-ranking Asian city,
whereas Dubai (73) ranks first across Middle East and Africa. The
city of Pointe-à-Pitre (69), Guadeloupe, takes the top spot for
Central and South America.
Mercer conducts its Quality of Living survey annually to help
multinational companies and other employers compensate employees
fairly when placing them on international assignments. Two common
incentives include a quality-of-living allowance and a mobility
premium. A quality-of-living or “hardship” allowance compensates
for a decrease in the quality of living between home and host
locations, whereas a mobility premium simply compensates for the
inconvenience of being uprooted and having to work in another
country. Mercer’s Quality of Living reports provide valuable
information and hardship premium recommendations for over 460
cities throughout the world. The ranking covers 223 of these
cities.
“Political instability, high crime levels, and elevated air
pollution are a few factors that can be detrimental to the daily
lives of expatriate employees, their families, and local residents.
To ensure that compensation packages reflect the local environment
appropriately, employers need a clear picture of the quality of
living in the cities where they operate,” said Slagin Parakatil,
Senior Researcher at Mercer.
Mr. Parakatil added, “In a world economy that is becoming more
globalized, cities beyond the traditional financial and business
centers are working to improve their quality of living so they can
attract more foreign companies. This year’s survey recognizes
so-called ‘second tier’ or ‘emerging’ cites and points to a few
examples from around the world. These cities have been investing
massively in their infrastructure and attracting foreign direct
investments by providing incentives such as tax, housing, or entry
facilities. Emerging cities will become major players that
traditional financial centers and capital cities will have to
compete with.”
Europe
Vienna is the highest-ranking city globally. In Europe, it is
followed by Zurich (2), Munich (4), Düsseldorf (6), and Frankfurt
(7). “European cities enjoy a high overall quality of living
compared to those in other regions. Healthcare, infrastructure, and
recreational facilities are generally of a very high standard.
Political stability and relatively low crime levels enable
expatriates to feel safe and secure in most locations. The region
has seen few changes in living standards over the last year,” said
Mr. Parakatil.
Ranking 191 overall, Tbilisi, Georgia is the lowest-ranking city
in Europe. It continues to improve in its quality of living, mainly
due to a growing availability of consumer goods, improving internal
stability, and developing infrastructure. Other cities on the lower
end of Europe’s ranking include: Minsk (189), Belarus; Yerevan
(180), Armenia; Tirana (179), Albania; and St. Petersburg (168),
Russia. Ranking 107, Wroclaw, Poland is an emerging European city.
Since Poland’s accession to the European Union, Wroclaw has
witnessed tangible economic growth, partly due to its talent pool,
improved infrastructure, and foreign and internal direct
investments. The EU named Wroclaw as a European Capital of Culture
for 2016.
Americas
Canadian cities dominate North America’s top-five list. Ranking
fifth globally, Vancouver tops the regional list followed by Ottawa
(14), Toronto (15), Montreal (23), and San Francisco (27). The
region’s lowest-ranking city is Mexico City (122), preceded by four
US cities: Detroit (70), St. Louis (67), Houston (66), and Miami
(65). Ed Hannibal, Partner and Global Consulting Leader for
Mercer’s Mobility practice commented, “On the whole, North American
cities offer a high quality of living and are attractive working
destinations for companies and their expatriates. A wide range of
consumer goods are available, and infrastructures, including
recreational provisions, are excellent.”
In Central and South America, the quality of living varies
substantially. Pointe-à-Pitre (69), Guadeloupe is the region’s
highest-ranked city followed by San Juan (72), Montevideo (77),
Buenos Aires (81), and Santiago (93). Manaus (125), Brazil has been
identified as an example of an emerging city in this region due to
its major industrial center which has seen the creation of the
“Free Economic Zone of Manaus,” an area with administrative
autonomy giving Manaus a competitive advantage over other cities in
the region. This zone has attracted talent from other cities and
regions with several multinational companies already settled in the
area and more expected to arrive in the near future.
“Several cities in Central and South America are still
attractive to expatriates due to their relatively stable political
environments, improving infrastructure, and pleasant climate,” said
Mr. Hannibal. “But many locations remain challenging due to natural
disasters, such as hurricanes often hitting the region as well as
local economic inequality and high crime rates. Companies placing
their workers on expatriate assignments in these locations must
ensure that hardship allowances reflect the lower levels of quality
of living.”
Asia Pacific
Singapore (25) has the highest quality of living in Asia
followed by four Japanese cities: Tokyo (43), Kobe (47), Yokohama
(49), and Osaka (57). Dushanbe (209), Tajikistan is the
lowest-ranking city in the region. Mr. Parakatil commented, “Asia
has a bigger range of quality-of-living standard among its cities
than any other region. For many cities, such as those in South
Korea, the quality of living is continually improving. But for
others, such as some in China, issues like pervasive poor air
pollution are eroding their quality of living.”
With their considerable growth in the last decade, many
second-tier Asian cities are starting to emerge as important places
of business for multinational companies. Examples include Cheonan
(98), South Korea which is strategically located in an area where
several technology companies have operations. Over the past
decades, Pune (139), India has developed into an education hub and
home to IT, other high-tech industries, and automobile
manufacturing. The city of Xian (141), China has also witnessed
some major developments, such as the establishment of an “Economic
and Technological Development Zone” to attract foreign investments.
The city is also host to various financial services, consulting,
and computer services.
Elsewhere, New Zealand and Australian cities rank high on the
list for quality of living, with Auckland and Sydney ranking 3 and
10, respectively.
Middle East and Africa
With a global ranking of 73, Dubai is the highest-ranked city in
the Middle East and Africa region. It is followed by Abu Dhabi
(78), UAE; Port Louis (82), Mauritius; and Durban (85) and Cape
Town (90), South Africa. Durban has been identified as an example
of an emerging city in this region, due to the growth of its
manufacturing industries and the increasing importance of the
shipping port. Generally, this region dominates the lower end of
the quality of living ranking, with five out of the bottom six
cities. Baghdad (223) has the lowest overall ranking.
“The Middle East and especially Africa remain one of the most
challenging regions for multinational organizations and
expatriates. Regional instability and disruptive political events,
including civil unrest, lack of infrastructure, and natural
disasters such as flooding, keep the quality of living from
improving in many of its cities. However, some cities that might
not have been very attractive to foreign companies are making
efforts to attract them,” said Mr. Parakatil.
About Mercer
Mercer is a global leader in talent, health, retirement, and
investments. Mercer helps clients around the world advance the
health, wealth, and performance of their most vital asset – their
people. Mercer's more than 20,000 employees are based in 43
countries, and the firm operates in over 140 countries. Mercer is a
wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies
(NYSE:MMC), a global team of professional services companies
offering clients advice and solutions in the areas of risk,
strategy, and human capital. With over 54,000 employees worldwide
and annual revenue exceeding $11 billion, Marsh & McLennan
Companies is also the parent company of Marsh, a global leader in
insurance broking and risk management; Guy Carpenter, a global
leader in providing risk and reinsurance intermediary services; and
Oliver Wyman, a global leader in management consulting. For more
information, visit www.mercer.com. Follow Mercer on Twitter
@MercerInsights.
MercerMiriam Siscovick, +1
212-345-4760miriam.siscovick@mercer.com
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