Iberian cities top the list as the healthiest in the world

Overall, EU cities are a step ahead of the rest

In these times of pandemic and incessant talk about pollution and climate effects, one wonders if one can live in a city and not endanger his health and longevity. It turns out there are several such places, and the best ones are located in the EU.

Experts from money.co.uk have compiled a study and a ranking which shows that the healthiest city in the world is in fact Valencia (Spain), for the second year in a row. It is followed by other European cities, with Madrid, Lisbon and Vienna snatching the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th positions respectively. People on the Iberian Peninsula must be doing something right.

Valencia is the healthiest overall

Spain was also named the healthiest country in the world. One of the contributing factors was its Mediterranean diet, which is high in omega-3, fats and protein, as well as its social mealtimes and walking as a popular mode of transport.

As for the individual cities, the experts factored in various indicators when drawing up their ranking. Among these were life expectancy, the financial cost of staying healthy, air pollution indexes, obesity rates, crime rates and sunlight hours. One notable thing, however, is that the COVID pandemic and its effects had not been taken into account.

With balmy average yearly temperatures of 19^oC and being the home of the seafood paella, it would be hard to compete with a city like Valencia.

But what’s more, the city located on the Spanish eastern coast is considered to be environmentally clean. It has low rates of air pollution. Likewise, there is an excellent healthcare system comprised of well-equipped hospitals and specialists. For example, the Valencian Oncology Institute is one of 50 best cancer treatment centres in the world.

The average life expectancy in Valencia is 83.5 years. It’s proof that the Mediterranean lifestyle has carried well into the modern, more technological times, as well.

The other EU cities that made it into the top 10 are The Hague (The Netherlands) in 8th place, and Ljubljana (Slovenia) - 9th place.