SCOTLAND is revealed to offer the best quality of life for European expats in the UK, as Edinburgh remains in the top 20 most liveable cities in the world, according to annual report from global mobility experts, ECA International (ECA).
For the second year running Edinburgh holds its position at number 19, with Aberdeen close behind at 21st and Glasgow further down the list in 55th place.
Over 490 cities around the world are evaluated annually by ECA on a variety of liveability factors including availability of health services; housing and utilities; isolation; access to a social network and leisure facilities; infrastructure; climate; personal safety; political tensions and air quality.
The other UK cities in the list were all ranked within the top 50, with London at joint 47th Manchester at 39 and Cardiff at 24.
Neil Ashman, Senior Location Ratings Analyst at ECA International, said: “Edinburgh consistently scores highly in our report due to a range of factors such as lower air pollution and existing expatriate communities. As isolation is a major factor in our scoring, the solid networks existing for expats in Edinburgh means newcomers are less likely to have a culture shock and feel alone.”
Aberdeen is the next UK location in the rankings, one place behind Edinburgh in joint 21st place alongside the German city of Dusseldorf.
Ashman said “Aberdeen is just behind the Edinburgh in our rankings and scores highly for similar reasons. In addition to the clean air and low crime, there is also a large expat community in the city owing to the oil and gas industry and therefore Aberdeen scores highly for overseas workers.”
Cities in Northern Europe once again dominate the top of the rankings with four cities in the Netherlands in the top 20 most liveable in the world. Eindhoven, a design and technology hub, climbed one place this year, securing its position in the top five cities. In Switzerland, four major cities also retain their top 20 status.
Ashman said “Northern European cities in places such as Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Switzerland, have always scored consistently well for expat liveability. Excellent transport links, a high standard of healthcare and long-term political stability, mean that overseas workers from elsewhere in Europe can adapt to these locations with ease.”
