Amsterdam named 6th-best city in the world for quality of life
By Simone Jacobs
The annual Quality of Living Ranking by Mercer has been released, revealing that two Dutch cities are among the top 20 cities in the world for quality of life. Amsterdam is the shining star of the Netherlands and has gone up in the ratings, being named the 6th-best city in the world for quality of life.
Mercer Quality of Living Ranking 2024
The ranking by Mercer looks at 241 global cities and ranks them by the quality of life they offer residents. The main aim of the study is to provide information to international workers and companies on which locations are the best to relocate to for a good quality of life.
To determine which cities are the best, Mercer considers 39 different factors for each location such as political stability, healthcare, education, infrastructure, housing, traffic, air quality, recreation, economy and more. The research team then uses New York City as a benchmark to compare the other cities.
In 2024, Zurich was named the best city for quality of life with Mercer praising its “outstanding public services, low crime rates and a lively cultural scene, all backed by efficient infrastructure and a dedication to sustainability.” Vienna and Geneva round out the top three.
Two Dutch cities make top 20 for quality of living
Amsterdam received the best ranking of the Dutch cities coming in 6th position, a massive improvement from 14th place in the 2023 edition of the ranking. Some factors that attract international workers to the city are the job opportunities, along with tax incentives for expats such as the 30 percent ruling, the education system with a large selection of courses in English and the recreational activities with a wide array of clubs, museums and events to choose from.
The Hague also features in the study at 14th position, having dropped three spots. Both cities were also named among the 50 most expensive cities in the world earlier this year, however Amsterdam had improved slightly becoming slightly more affordable.
Top 10 cities for quality of life in 2024
In all, here are the 10 best cities for quality of life in 2024:
- 1. Zurich, Switzerland
- 2. Vienna, Austria
- 3. Geneva, Switzerland
- 4. Copenhagen, Denmark
- 5. Auckland, New Zealand
- 6. Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- =7. Frankfurt, Germany
- =7. Vancouver, Canada
- 9. Bern, Switzerland
- 10. Basel, Switzerland
For more information about the study, check out the Mercer website.
Thumb image credit: Jaclyne Ortiz / Shutterstock.com
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Editor for the Netherlands at IamExpat Media. Simone studied Genetics and Zoology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa before moving to the Netherlands, where she has been working as a writer and editor since 2022. One thing she loves more than creating content is consuming it, mainly by reading books by the dozen. Other than being a book dragon, she is also a nature lover and enjoys hiking and animal training. Read more