Over 87 million individuals are estimated to reside as expats throughout the globe, and lots of of them have moved abroad searching for a greater high quality of life.
Worldwide consulting agency Mercer lately ranked Zurich as the most effective location for expats based mostly on financial, social, and environmental components.
The corporate launched its annual High quality of Dwelling Metropolis Rating, evaluating cities with the most effective residing circumstances for worldwide staff. Mercer considers components similar to political stability, well being care, training, infrastructure, and cultural surroundings.
“This yr, Zurich, Switzerland, takes the highest place, fueled by its excellent public companies, low crime charges, and a full of life cultural scene, all backed by environment friendly infrastructure and a dedication to sustainability,” the report reads, stating that the Swiss metropolis has added a number of new direct flight routes to and from different continents enhancing its connectivity.Â
Switzerland’s largest metropolis serves as a worldwide monetary hub the place over 400,000 individuals, or about 28 % of its inhabitants, are foreign-born. It’s divided into 12 districts, with the Outdated City courting again over 2,000 years at its coronary heart.Â
Earlier this yr, Zurich was additionally named the world’s smartest metropolis for its progressive integration of latest applied sciences, which improves city life. The celebrated Economist Intelligence Unit highlighted it because the third most livable metropolis in 2024, with excellent scores within the training and healthcare classes.
Nevertheless, for those who’re contemplating transferring there, understand that it has additionally repeatedly ranked as one in every of the priciest cities on the planet. Mercer identifies it because the third most costly place to reside, behind Hong Kong and Singapore.Â
Switzerland has essentially the most cities — 4 — among the many prime ten in Mercer’s 2024 report. Geneva climbed two spots this yr to 3rd place, whereas Bern and Basel improved their standing by 4 and at the moment are ninth and tenth, respectively.Â
Vienna, which topped the rating final yr, dropped to second place in 2024. Nevertheless, the Austrian capital presents a great steadiness of high quality of life and affordability, because it ranked twenty fourth for value of residing.Â
Auckland (fifth) and Vancouver (seventh) are the one non-European cities within the prime ten. Boston (thirty second) is the highest-ranking American metropolis on the listing, which highlights 241 cities worldwide.
The worst cities for expats this yr are Bangui, Central African Republic (239th), Baghdad, Iraq (240th), and Khartoum, Sudan (241st).
You may learn the whole report and its findings on mercer.com.