Zurich, 97% Resident Life Satisfaction Rate
Denmark's Copenhagen and Netherlands' Groningen Also Rank High
Zurich, Switzerland was selected as the best city to live in Europe last year. On the other hand, Palermo, Italy was dishonorably ranked at the bottom.
On the 12th (local time), the American daily Politico cited a report titled "2023 Quality of Life in European Cities" published by the European Union (EU) Commission on the same day, reporting that "Zurich residents had the highest life satisfaction rate at 97%."
This survey was conducted from January to April last year, targeting a total of 71,153 residents in 83 cities across EU member states, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the United Kingdom, the Western Balkans, and T?rkiye.
Specifically, Zurich residents showed satisfaction rates of over 80-90% in each category such as public transportation, medical services, and air quality. Additionally, 96% and 95% respectively answered "yes" to the questions "Do you think this city is suitable for LGBTQ+ people and the elderly to live in?"
However, expensive housing prices were cited as a drawback. Only 11% of Zurich residents answered "yes" to the question "Can you find good housing at a reasonable price?"
The cities ranked second in Europe for life satisfaction were Copenhagen, Denmark, and Groningen, the Netherlands, with 96% of residents expressing satisfaction. Gda?sk, Poland; Leipzig, Germany; Stockholm, Sweden; and Geneva, Switzerland followed closely with 95% each.
Palermo, Italy had the lowest average satisfaction rate in this survey at 62%. In addition to Palermo, three other Italian cities including Naples and Rome were included in the bottom 10. Athens, Greece; Istanbul, T?rkiye; Tirana, Albania; and Belgrade, Serbia also remained in the lower ranks with satisfaction rates between 60-70%.
The Commission explained, "Overall, the cities surveyed generally have high satisfaction levels, but compared to the previous report in 2019, the average life satisfaction has decreased in most cities." They further analyzed the reason, stating, "Although satisfaction sharply declined due to the COVID-19 outbreak and has partially recovered, it has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels."
Meanwhile, Seoul ranked 14th in the "Top 100 Most Attractive Cities" annual ranking conducted by the global market research firm Euromonitor International last year. This ranking is higher than Asian competitor cities such as Osaka, Japan (16th) and Hong Kong (17th), as well as perennial top-tier cities like Vienna, Austria (18th), Toronto, Canada (30th), and Zurich (32nd).
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