Wellington tops world quality of life rankings for second year in a row
Wellington shocked many when it was ranked the most liveable city in the world last year, but it won’t surprise
Wellingtonians to learn it has kept that number one spot in 2018, says the capital’s Mayor Justin Lester.
For the second year running, Wellington has topped Deutsche Bank’s list of 50 cities with the best quality of life,
beating out Zurich, Copenhagen, Edinburgh and Vienna.
The rankings look at purchasing power, safety, health care, cost of living, property price to income ratios, traffic
commutes, pollution and climate. “If quality of life is your only concern, then Wellington continues to be the best
place of our 50 cities to live in,” according to the Deutsche Bank report authors.
Wellington was ranked as the least polluted of the cities and was ranked fourth best for property to income ratio and
commuting, and fifth for its climate – overall earning the top spot.
“Wellington is in good company with the cities on that list, but to top it is a seriously sweet feeling,” says the
Mayor. “We are very strong environmentally, and it will come as no surprise to any Wellingtonian that we have a
favourable climate.
“On an international scale we are safe, the city is affordable, and we’ve got good transport connections. Most
importantly we’ve got a city full of wonderful people, which makes everyday living here a pleasure.
“I think we’ve got a wonderful city and hopefully all Wellingtonians would agree. It’s nice for our city to get some
recognition on the international stage.
“Wellingtonians like to say you can’t beat the city on a good day, but looks like we’ve had two good years and we
couldn’t be prouder. We’ve got the best coffee, the best beer, the best wind. What’s not to love?”
But the capital also scored well for the price of a monthly transport pass, in the “cheap date index”, and the
“cappuccino index” shows it is mid-table in terms of the price of a cup of coffee.
WREDA Chief Executive Lance Walker says Wellington being named the most liveable city in the world vindicates what
Wellingtonians already know.
“Wellington’s a city that is easy to live in. It’s compact, connected, and innovative with a lifestyle that’s making the
world sit up and take notice. But the best thing about Wellington is Wellingtonians, who can be rightfully proud of
their city.”
Deutsche Bank’s top 10 most liveable cities:
1. Wellington
2. Zurich
3. Copenhagen
4. Edinburgh
5. Vienna
6. Helsinki
7. Melbourne
8. Sydney
9. Frankfurt
10. Amsterdam
ENDS