11 times in a row: Vienna tops Quality of Living ranking

The Austrian capital has become the benchmark for urban life against which others should measure up

The international consulting agency Mercer has published its annual Quality of Living ranking of global cities, which showed that Vienna is number one when it comes to making life comfortable for its residents in as many aspects as possible.

What’s incredible about this is also the fact that this prestigious ranking has been consistently topped by the Austrian capital since 2009 despite considerable competition from global urban centres. (There were no rankings in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Vienna once again owes its top ranking to its excellent infrastructure with a well-developed and reliable public transport network, water and health care, and a wide range of educational offerings.

The city's mayor Michael Ludwig had this to say about the achievement:

We are working around the clock with full commitment to offer the people of Vienna the best possible life. Of course, it is nice to see that these efforts are also being recognized in international rankings. This is our priority "It's about continuing to work for the people of Vienna and continually developing our city."

City livability ranked high in Central Europe

Looking at the cities forming the top 10 of the ranking, it becomes evident that a certain European region predominates when it comes to offering the best quality of living to urban residents. That region is roughly a triangle formed by Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Austria – countries with high human development index.

Apart from the Austrian capital, all other European cities forming the top 10 are located in that region: Zurich (2^nd), Copenhagen (4^th), Geneva (5^th), Frankfurt (6^th), Munich (7^th) and Dusseldorf (10^th).

Mercer analyzes the quality of life in 241 cities around the world every year for the ranking. The analysis is carried out using generally accepted standards. Criteria include health, political stability, economic situation, education system, housing market and nature conservation.