The rankings are based on a point scoring index, which sees Zurich scoring 108, while Baghdad scores 13.5. Cities are compared to New York as the base city, with an index score of 100. The quality of living survey covers 215 cities and is conducted to help governments and major companies place employees on international assignments.
In the world chart, Bucharest maintained the same position as in the previous year, still lagging behind most EU state capitals. Considering the region, the living conditions in Bucharest are only superior to those in Bulgarian capital Sofia.
According to Mercer, among the 26 EU capitals, Bucharest is second last, while Vienna offers the best quality for life, followed by Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Brussels, Berlin and Luxemburg.
Prague (71) is the highest-ranking eastern European city followed by Budapest (74), Vilnius (78), Ljubljana (82) and Warsaw (85). The lowest ranking European city is Minsk (183) in Belarus. Minsk scores 49.4 on the index compared with Zurich’s 108. Milan (41), Lisbon (44), Vilnius (78) and Riga (89) have also become more attractive destinations, rising markedly in the rankings since 2007.
In the world chart, the top three positions are held by European cities, namely Zurich, Vienna and Geneva, followed by Vancouver and Auckland. The city with the lowest quality of living is Baghdad, remaining in the same position as in the previous year.