Café culture in the centre of Bern, the Swiss capital.
Keystone / Manuel Lopez
Three Swiss cities feature in the top 10 of the latest Mercer quality of living rankingExternal link, which once again is top-heavy with European metropolises.
As in last year’s ranking, Zurich is the second most liveable city in the world, just behind Vienna, the human resources consulting firm Mercer has reported.
Geneva (9th, down one spot) and Basel (10th, again) also rank highly, while Swiss capital Bern comes 14th in a list that features eight European cities in the top 10.
Surveying some 231 global cities, Mercer establishes the ranking based on criteria including crime rates, public transport, waste disposal services, climate, and electricity supplies.
The list can be used to calculate the salaries of expatriated workers sent to destinations around the world, Mercer says.
Switzerland has traditionally fared extremely well in such rankings: even though expats sometimes moan about the difficulty of integration and of getting to know Swiss people, the political stability, healthcare, and high salaries boost the country’s reputation.
In this year’s Mercer report, the strong European performance was contrasted by declining fortunes for US cities, which all dropped except for New York (44th), where the ongoing decrease in crime rates allowed it to jump a spot.
At the bottom end of the scale, African and Middle Eastern cities facing security issues came out worst, with Baghdad propping up the table despite “significant improvements in security and sanitation services in recent years”.
More
More
Your views: why life is good in Switzerland
This content was published on
We wanted to find out what makes Switzerland special by talking to our readers. Here are some of your answers.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
Swiss study: insects mainly migrate at midday and dusk
This content was published on
A study led by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in canton Lucerne is helping to better understand the movement patterns of migratory insects.
Red Cross: 22 staff killed in Middle East since October
This content was published on
The Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Gaza and Israel has lost 22 staff members since last October, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) said on Wednesday.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
What the Swiss can teach us about quality of life
This content was published on
Squeezing in a lunchtime swim – and being able to get there by bus – is just one example of why Swiss cities keep topping quality of life surveys.
Three Swiss cities among world’s top ten for quality of life
This content was published on
Switzerland’s biggest city, Zurich, offers the second-best quality of life in the world, according to the annual survey from consulting firm Mercer.
This content was published on
The Swiss remained in the number one spot for the third consecutive year, ahead of Japan, Canada, Germany and Britain, according to a survey by a United States media company published on Wednesday. Eight European countries feature in the top ten, with Australia and the US in seventh and eighth position respectively. “Switzerland is seen…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.