Singapore ranked top Asian city in annual Quality of Living survey
Singapore has been ranked the top Asian city in an annual Quality of Living survey by global human resources consulting firm Mercer.
The index, released on Wednesday (13 March), placed Singapore as joint No. 25 with Oslo, out of 231 cities ranked in the survey. The other Asian cities that follow Singapore include Tokyo (No. 49) Hong Kong (71) and Seoul (77).
In Southeast Asia, other notable cities include Kuala Lumpur (85), Bangkok (133), Manila (137) and Jakarta (142).
Mario Ferraro, Regional Practice Leader for Mercer Global Mobility, noted that the Republic constantly strives to improve the standard of living of its residents with greater connectivity and sustainability of resources.
“We continue to see huge forward-thinking policies that have enabled Singapore to develop economically and infrastructurally, bringing benefits to its residents, whilst making the city Asia’s most attractive destination for foreign talent.”
Vienna tops survey for 10th straight year
Austria’s capital Vienna topped the rankings for the 10th year in a row, earning praise for its beautiful tourist attractions and high standard of living despite cheap public services and abundant social housing.
Coming in second is Zurich, followed by three cities in third place – Vancouver, Munich and Auckland.
Just as in 2018, Baghdad is ranked last in the survey, although it has witnessed significant improvements in safety and health services. The Venezuela capital of Caracas, however, saw living standards drop following significant political and economic instability. It fell nine places to No. 209.
Ranking based on 39 factors in 10 categories
Mercer’s survey is conducted annually to enable multinational companies and other organisations to compensate employees fairly when placing them on international assignments.
It compiled the ranking based on 39 factors, grouped in 10 categories: political and social environment, economic environment, socio-cultural environment, medical and health considerations, schools and education, public services and transportation, recreation, consumer goods, housing and natural environment.
The data was analysed between September and November 2018, and it will be updated regularly to account for changing circumstances. In particular, the assessments are revised to reflect significant political, economic, and environmental developments.
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