Two current studies examine the best places to live and work. Munich takes the number one spot in Germany in both rankings.
For years, the international consulting firm Mercer has been examining the quality of life in 231 major cities in its “Quality of Living Ranking.” In comparison to other German cities, Munich takes the top spot — as has been the case in previous rankings since 2012. In the international ranking, the Bavarian capital provides the world’s third highest quality of living after Vienna and Zurich. Munich shares third place with New Zealand’s metropolis Auckland. Just last year, Auckland occupied the spot on its own, pushing Munich to fourth place.
Spots five to seven were taken by Vancouver, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt am Main. Other German cities found on the list include Berlin in 13th place, Hamburg at number 19, and Nuremberg in 23rd place. The top ten list is completed by Geneva, Copenhagen, Basel and Sydney, putting eight of the world’s ten most livable cities in Europe.
Mercer’s Ulrike Hellenkamp commented on Munich taking the top spot in Germany:
“Munich has gone to great lengths in recent years to attract talent and companies, for example by continuously investing in its high-tech infrastructure. An additional focal point has been the promotion of cultural institutions. These measures have bumped Bavaria’s capital city up to third place in the overall ranking.”
Mixed individual results, top-notch as a whole
The Munich company Yourfirm has intensified the focus of its study “Career Atlas 2018” on the professional potential offered by different cities, comparing 14 large German cities based on income, work, housing and quality of life. Here again, Munich took the lead in the ranking. Stuttgart and Dresden came in second and third place on the winners’ podium. According to the study, the lowest career potential is found in the Ruhr area’s major cities Dortmund (13) and Essen (14).
In two of the twelve individual categories, namely the percentage of highly qualified employees and a low unemployment rate, Munich came in first place. In eight other categories, Munich took both second place and third place four times. The major city on the Isar River came in last in only two categories: rent and the price of real estate. The study summarizes Munich’s ranking as follows:
“When it comes to business, Munich is one of the top players, even in pan-European terms, and is the number one address for making a career. With an unemployment rate of 4.2% (2017 annual average), the Bavarian capital city occupies a leading national position. Even the so-called ‘soft’ location factors add up: a low crime rate, a broad selection of leisure and recreational activities plus an efficient infrastructure make the city a great place to live.”
The complete Yourfirm “Career Atlas 2018” can be downloaded here.
Click here for further information about the “Mercer Quality of Living Ranking.”