Millions of Ukrainians left their native homes with the start of a full-scale war. However, for many, migration to European countries did not end with crossing the state border and stopping in the first-best city or town where they could find salvation from Russian aggression. Secondary migration became a search not only for a convenient country to live in, but also for the choice of a city with which Ukrainian refugees would dare to connect their future life. The relocation of migrants has caused interest in the quality of living in different settlements around the world, as evidenced by various analytical ratings.
The Economist Group recently released its annual ranking of the best cities to live in, using a multi-factor approach The Global Liveability Index 2024. The following factors were taken into account: stability, health care, culture and environment, education, infrastructure.
30 cities in Western Europe received an average score of 92 out of 100 this year. However, compared to last year, the overall score of the region decreased. The reason for this is the deterioration in the “stability” category, caused by the increase in protests, especially in Germany, Ireland and Belgium, as well as the increase in the crime rate. 25 North American cities received an average score of 90.5 this year. However, the region’s overall performance declined from last year due to infrastructure deterioration caused by Canada’s housing crisis.
The title of the best city to live in is won by Vienna for the third year in a row, receiving the highest points in almost all criteria. The top five also included three European cities: Copenhagen, Zurich and Geneva. All three cities are characterized by small populations, which generally contribute to lower crime rates and fewer people on the roads and public transport. These factors have a positive effect on the quality of life of residents and overall stability in cities.
Instead, Kyiv found itself in the ten anti-leaders of the rating – the Ukrainian capital received 44.5 points out of 100 and took 165th place. The authors of the list note: such a low rating is caused by Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. Hostilities, economic difficulties and infrastructure problems significantly affect the safety and quality of life in the city, leading to a significant deterioration in its position in the ranking of the best cities to live in.
Over the past ten years, Kyiv has been included in various ratings, but its positions have been quite variable. For example, in 2021, Kyiv ranked 87th among the 100 best cities in the world according to Resonance Consultancy.
It is natural that in recent years the city has significantly worsened its position due to the Russian invasion and the corresponding socio-political consequences. In the ranking by ECA International, Kyiv fell to the 218th place from the 137th place it occupied before the full-scale invasion of Russia (https://eca-international.com/news/january-2024/bern-remains-top-hot-spot-for -expat-liveability).
Before the start of the war Kyiv steadily improved its indicators in the world quality of life rankings thanks to the development of infrastructure, cultural initiatives and improvement of the urban environment. But the situation changed with the beginning of the war, which affected the security and economic stability of the city.
The sharpest drop in the ranking this year was experienced by Tel Aviv, which fell from 92nd to 112th place due to deteriorating indicators of stability, culture, environment and infrastructure. The reason for this is the war with Hamas in Gaza, which has led to an increase in socio-political tensions and negatively affected security and the overall quality of life in the city.
As for the general index of the comfort of life, the compilers of the rating note that it increased minimally over the year – only by 0.06 points. Deteriorating stability and infrastructure in some cities with advanced economies have been offset by structural improvements in health and education. This made it possible to keep the overall indicator at an almost unchanged level. The crisis of the cost of living also appeared, inflation hit the cost of housing the most.
