Two recent studies examine the best places to live and work. Munich ranks first in Germany in both rankings.
The international consulting firm Mercer has been examining the quality of life in 231 major cities worldwide for years in its "Quality of Living Ranking." Munich ranks first among German cities—as it has in previous rankings since 2012. In the international ranking, the Bavarian capital is the city with the third-highest quality of life in the world, behind Vienna and Zurich. Munich shares third place with the New Zealand metropolis of Auckland. Last year, Auckland held sole third place, relegating Munich to fourth place.
Vancouver, Düsseldorf, and Frankfurt am Main follow in fifth to seventh place. Berlin is the next German city in 13th place, followed by Hamburg in 19th, and Nuremberg in 23rd. Also in the top ten are Geneva, Copenhagen, Basel, and Sydney. This means that eight of the ten most livable cities in the world are in Europe.
On Munich’s performance at the top of Germany’s rankings Ulrike Hellenkamp from Mercer:
"Munich has made great efforts in recent years to attract talent and companies, for example, by continuously investing in high-tech infrastructure. Another focus has been on supporting cultural institutions. These steps have led to the Bavarian capital moving up to third place in the overall ranking."
Mixed individual results, overall top
The Munich-based company Yourfirm focuses its "Career Atlas 2018" study more on the career potential of different cities, comparing 14 major German cities in terms of income, jobs, housing, and quality of life. Munich also leads this ranking. Stuttgart and Dresden finish behind Munich. The study finds the Ruhr metropolises of Dortmund (13) and Essen (14) to have the lowest career potential.
In two of twelve individual categories, the proportion of highly qualified employees and the low unemployment rate, Munich ranks first, and in second and third place four times each. In two categories, the Isar metropolis even holds the red lantern of last place: rents and property prices. The study concludes on Munich's performance:
"In terms of business, Munich is also at the forefront of Europe and is the top address for careers. With an unemployment rate of 4.2 percent (annual average in 2017), the Bavarian capital ranks among the top cities nationwide. The so-called 'soft' location factors are also good: a low crime rate, a wide range of leisure and recreational activities, and an efficient infrastructure make the city a great place to live."
The complete “Career Atlas 2018” from Yourfirm is available for download here.
Further information on the “Mercer Quality of Living Ranking” can be found here.
