The cities where you live best are no longer what they used to be

According to Global Livelihood Index Posted byEconomist, Auckland will be the best city in the world by 2021, The most populous city in New Zealand. This year, the Economist Intelligence Unit (a financial analysis and consulting firm owned by the editorial board of the British weekly magazine) is in addition to the usual criteria for determining quality of life and quality of service in dozens of cities around the world. Factors related to managing the corona virus epidemic are also taken into account: for this reason, many European cities have lost several positions compared to the most recent rankings – 2019 – and eight Oceania countries are in the top ten.

But there is an even more interesting aspect to this ranking: Aucklanders are not so convinced that they live in the city with the best quality of life in the world.

Each year, experts from the Economic Intelligence Unit analyze the “livelihoods” of 140 cities, with more than 30 indicators distributed over five categories: sustainability, health system quality, cultural living and environmental conditions, quality of education and infrastructure. Each indicator is assigned a score of 1 to 100, which determines the general score of each city, which is always expressed in hundreds: Auckland with 96 points was determined as the city where you live best, while Damascus, the capital of Syria, received 26.5 points.

Upasana Dutt, Project Manager, Economic Intelligence He explained Financial Times The Auckland score was primarily determined by the decision of the New Zealand government Impose strict restrictions immediately Against the epidemic, it prevented the high circulation of corona virus in the country. Efficient government administration has allowed local governments to relax restrictions in advance and ensure they are saved Some intermittent locks The quality of life of the residents has not changed particularly.

In Auckland, ranked twelfth in 2019, schools were always open: held by an Australian city, despite the strict restrictions still in place in the spring in Europe Cup of America e Concerts with tens of thousands of people, Without the obligation of masks or physical distance.

The Six 60s show in New Zealand last night.
50 thousand people.
No longer mandatory masks. pic.twitter.com/xUuvwCfczs

– Jose Norberto Flesh (njnflesch) April 24, 2021

For these reasons, the New Zealand capital Wellington also established itself well in the rankings, ranking fourth alongside Tokyo. Australia is another country that has controlled the epidemic and improved its ranking of cities, with four cities in the top ten: Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne, Which is the first in stages for seven consecutive years. It went well Japan, With a total population of over 126 million, has recorded about 780 thousand cases of infection since the onset of the epidemic and less than 14 thousand deaths due to COVID-19 related causes. For a comparison, there are more than 4 million infections and more than 126 thousand deaths in Italy today (less than half the population lives in Italy).

There have been no reports of new infections in New Zealand since February 28, more than 100 days ago, and there have been 26 deaths from COVID-19-related causes since the outbreak of the disease: one in every 190 people per thousand or more.

According to the estimates ofEconomist, Corona virus infection has reduced the quality of life in most cities around the world. Experts took into account the ability of local administrations to manage major assistance in hospitals and medical facilities, but also to enforce closures and rules regarding physical distance in schools, restaurants and entertainment venues. In general, cities that imposed loose regulations were given the highest rating, but the rating was lower when the easing of restrictions led to an increase in epidemics.

This criterion has caused many European cities to lose several points and reduce them compared to 2019. Hamburg, Frankfurt and Dசsseldorf lost 8 points and several positions, while Rome finished 57th, 2019 losing 6.5 points compared to Vienna. The city where people lived best in both 2018 and 2019 came in twelfth and exchanged order with Auckland, so to speak.

– read more: Italian city where people lived in the best way Only 24 or

Despite the excellent scores obtained by the city of New Zealand, the result seems surprising to its residents, who have reported a variety of problems, from high traffic to difficulty in finding a home.

Auckland is located in the north of New Zealand, with a population of 1.7 million and is famous for its beaches, temperate climate and intense cultural life. The unemployment rate was 4.7 percent (in Italy it was in April 10.7 percent) And its economy is expected to grow by 2.9 percent in 2021.

The fact that the epidemic is largely under control in New Zealand has forced more than 40,000 New Zealanders living abroad to return to live in the country. One of them is Jane Henley, an expert on the World Bank’s Sustainable Development Programs, who has decided to leave her job in Washington and return to Auckland.

Henley He said al Financial Times Auckland house prices are comparable to those in London or New York, but the salary is much lower, especially compared to house expenses. Organization for dealing with urban development population Auckland ranks fourth in the world among the cities that spend the most to buy a home because demand is high and homes are low. QV, a New Zealand real estate appraiser, estimates that the average price of a house in the city is $ 1.3 million (approximately 760 thousand euros); Among other things, there have been prices over the past year Increased by 20 per cent.

According to John Routledge, who runs a facility that provides shelter for people in need, Auckland is “a beautiful city for those with a secure home and work, but it’s a stressor for those who do not have it.”

– read more: Other parts of the world without vaccines