The most liveable cities for European expats are the Swiss capital Bern and Copenhagen in Denmark. In joint second place are Geneva and Den Haag in the Netherlands. The findings reconfirm Bern and Geneva’s top spots in 2020 in the ranking conducted by the British personnel management experts ECA International.
The ranking is based on quality of living data from more than 490 cities worldwide. Decisive factors include access to healthcare, living space, social networks, infrastructure, environment and personal safety.
Bern, Geneva, Basel and Zurich lead the way
In joint seventh place with Amsterdam is Basel, securing its place in the top 10. Zurich follows in 14th place. Only 10 countries made it into the top 20 alongside Switzerland: Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Ireland, Luxembourg, Sweden, Germany, Austria and Great Britain.
Outside Europe, Canada reclaimed its title for the fifth time in a row as the country that offers the highest standard of living to European expats. Here, Toronto totted up the highest score to rank ahead of European hubs such as London, Paris, Berlin and Rome. The fact that Canada is bilingual is highlighted as an advantage for Europeans in a statement published about the ranking.
Seamless integration in Switzerland
Commenting on the results, Neil Ashman, Senior Location Ratings Analyst at ECA International, said: “Northern European cities in places such as Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Switzerland, have consistently scored well for expat liveability.” He continued to highlight excellent transport links, a high standard of healthcare and long-term political stability. “This means that overseas workers from elsewhere in Europe can adapt to these locations with ease,” he said.
