Europe’s most liveable cities, according to experts
Copenhagen and Bern have been rated the most liveable cities in Europe, according to a new ranking.
Mobility consultancy ECA International ranked 480 global cities on factors including health services, housing, leisure facilities, safety, air quality and political tensions.
Clean air, good facilities and low crime were among the reasons that pushed the Danish and Swiss capitals to the top of the ranking.
Rounding out the top five was The Hague, Geneva and Eindhoven in the Netherlands. The Dutch city is one of four to appear in the top 20.
Other cities that appeared in the top 10 included Stavanger, Amsterdam and Dublin.
Edinburgh, the only UK city to appear in the top 20, squeezed in at number 19 – in joint position with Stockholm. London ranked 47th due to low safety and pollution scores.
“Pollution, crime rate and terrorism threats are among the factors that affect the liveability of major UK cities such as London, Manchester, Belfast and Glasgow,” said Neil Ashman, senior location ratings analyst at ECA International.
“Europeans relocating for work or looking to move abroad can expect a good quality of life in many locations in Ireland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany or Norway; countries that dominate the top 20 of our rankings.”
Across the pond, the Canadian cities of Toronto and Vancouver were the highest ranked non-European cities, coming ahead of cities including Madrid, Berlin and London.
Top 20 most liveable cities
1. Copenhagen, Denmark
1. Bern, Switzerland
3. The Hague, the Netherlands
3. Geneva, Switzerland
5. Eindhoven, the Netherlands
5. Stavanger, Norway
7. Amsterdam, the Netherlands
7. Basel, Switzerland
9. Dublin, Ireland
9. Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
9. Gothenburg, Sweden
12. Aarhus, Denmark
12. Rotterdam, the Netherlands
14. Zurich, Switzerland
15. Bonn, Germany
15. Munich, Germany
17. Vienna, Austria
17. Hamburg, Germany
19. Stockholm, Sweden
19. Edinburgh, Scotland
