According to Mercer's 2012 Quality of Living Index, Vienna, famous for its hundreds of museums, 2000 parks, and of course its roasted coffee, is the best place on the planet to live. This year's selection makes Vienna number one in the world for the fourth year in a row. The annual survey by the global human resources consulting firm points not just to Austria's qualities but to much of the region's virtues. Eight of the report's top 10 cities are in Europe. Zurich is the world's second most livable city while three German cities -- Munich, Dusseldorf, and Frankfurt -- follow close behind. Mercer's survey results are based on an analysis of local living conditions comprising 39 factors in 10 categories. Political considerations include government stability and crime rates. Economic factors take into account banking services and currency exchange laws. Health considerations include access to medical care and pollution levels. Transport, housing, and recreation are also taken into account. 
1. Vienna, Austria
2. Zurich, Switzerland
3. Auckland, New Zealand
4. Munich, Germany
5. Vancouver, Canada
6. Düsseldorf, Germany
7. Frankfurt, Germany
8. Geneva, Switzerland
9. Copenhagen, Denmark
10. Bern, Switzerland
10. (tie) Sydney, Australia
12. Amsterdam, Netherlands
13. Wellington, New Zealand
14. Ottawa, Canada
15. Toronto, Canada
16. Berlin, Germany
17. Hamburg, Germany
17. Melbourne, Australia
19. Luxembourg, Luxembourg
21. Perth, Australia
22. Brussels, Belgium
23. Montreal, Canada
24. Nuremberg, Germany
25. Singapore, Singapore
26. Canberra, Australia
27. Stuttgart, Germany
28. Honolulu, Hawaii U.S.
29. Adelaide, Australia
29. (tie) Paris, France
29. (tie) San Francisco, U.S.
City scores help multinational companies calculate compensation packages for the employees they send overseas. A lower score often correlates into a better compensation package that includes hardship allowances, according to Mercer. Countries with unstable governments or undergoing civil strife tend usually to have lower scores. Eight African cities dominate the bottom ten in this year's survey. Around the word and on a regional basis, the cities that score the lowest are:
64. Belfast, Northern Ireland (Western Europe)
71. Detroit, Michigan, (United States)
207. Dushanbe, Tajikistan (Asia-Pacific)
213. Tbilisi, Georgia (Eastern Europe)
219. Port-au-Prince, Haiti (North Americas)
This year's city with the worst quality of life is Baghdad, Iraq at #221. The United States, which constantly trumpets itself as “the greatest country in the world” couldn’t even break the top 25 with Honolulu slouching in at 28 and San Francisco tied for 29th.
Also, Transparency International has released its 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index, deeming more than two-thirds of the countries surveyed as "very corrupt." 
The usual suspects occupied both ends of the league table. Only 53 of 176 countries surveyed attained a "passing grade" of 50 out of 100 in the annual report. Two typical trios bookended the index, with Denmark, Finland, and New Zealand all tied at 90 at the top. Somalia, North Korea, and Afghanistan shared the ignominious end of Transparency's table, scoring just eight. As a geographic region, Scandinavia swept the board as usual. Sweden was fourth in line after joint leaders Denmark and Finland, with Norway bagging seventh spot with a score of 85. Weak civil society and rule of law can blight lives, particularly for those who most need the protection of the state. The comprehensive new report reveals wide disparities, with parts of Asia faring quite poorly. Transparency's Managing Director Cobus de Swardt said the world's top economies should "lead by example" and ensure "their institutions are fully transparent and their leaders are held accountable." But, the world's largest economy, the US, could only manage a score of 73 - 19th in the standings, between the UK and Chile. China, meanwhile, logged only 39 points, scraping into the top half in 80th place.
No comments:
Post a Comment