The World's Best Places to Live 2008

Mercer Consulting's annual roundup of the global cities with the best quality of life is here, and Zurich once again comes out on top. The best place in the U.S.? Honolulu at No. 28.

New York, London, and Paris are internationally renowned cities but consultants at Mercer Consulting have picked Zurich, Switzerland, as the best place to live in the company's annual survey.

Consultants rated each city on a variety of factors including the level of traffic congestion, air quality, and personal safety reported by expatriates living in more than 600 cities worldwide. In the top 25, U.S. cities such as San Francisco, Boston, and Chicago were all edged out by Geneva, Switzerland, Vancouver, B.C., and Auckland, New Zealand. The highest-scoring U.S. city is Honolulu, which came in at No. 28.

Still, Mercer acknowledges that cities with a high quality of life are not necessarily the most exciting. "There are a lot of 'sleepy' towns that got high ratings," said Rebecca Powers, a principal consultant in human capital for the company. "But if you were to judge them on something like nightlife, there are some that probably wouldn't have rated as high."


No. 1: Zurich, Switzerland
Mercer score: 108*
2007 rank: No. 1
GDP: $300.9 billion (2007 est.)**
Population: 7,581,520 (total country); 347,517 (total city)
Life expectancy: 80.74 years

No. 2 (tie): Vienna, Austria
Mercer score: 107.9
2007 rank: No. 3
GDP: $319.7 billion (2007 est.)
Population: 8,205,533 (total country); 1,825,287 (total city)
Life expectancy: 79.36 years

No. 2 (tie): Geneva, Switzerland
Mercer score: 107.9
2007 rank: No. 2
GDP: $300.9 billion (2007 est.)
Population: 7,581,520 (total country); 185,000 (total city)
Life expectancy: 80.74 years

No. 4: Vancouver, Canada
Mercer score: 107.6
2007 rank: No. 3
GDP: $1.274 trillion (2007 est.)
Population: 33,212,696 (total country); 560,000 (total city)
Life expectancy: 81.16 years

No. 5: Auckland, New Zealand
Mercer score: 107.3
2007 rank: No. 5
GDP: $112.6 billion (2007 est.)
Population: 4,173,460 (total country); 1.18 million (total city)
Life expectancy: 80.24 years

No. 6: Dusseldorf, Germany
Mercer score: 107.2
2007 rank: No. 6
GDP: $2.833 trillion (2007 est.)
Population: 82,369,548 (total country); 581,858 (total city)
Life expectancy: 79.1 years

No. 7 (tie): Munich, Germany
Mercer score: 107
2007 rank: No. 8
GDP: $2.833 trillion (2007 est.)
Population: 82,369,548 (total country); 1,332,650 (total city)
Life expectancy: 79.1 years

No. 7 (tie): Frankfurt, Germany
Mercer score: 107
2007 rank: No. 7
GDP: $2.833 trillion (2007 est.)
Population: 82,369,548 (total country); 3,700,000 (total city)
Life expectancy: 79.1 years

No. 9: Bern, Switzerland
Mercer score: 106.5
2007 rank: No. 9
GDP: $319.7 billion (2007 est.)
Population: 8,205,533 (total country); 122,178 (total city)
Life expectancy: 79.36 years

No. 10: Sydney, Australia
Mercer score: 106.3
2007 rank: No. 9
GDP: $766.8 billion (2007 est.)
Population: 20,600,856 (total country); 4,297,100 (total city)
Life expectancy: 80.73 years

No. 11: Copenhagen, Denmark
Mercer score: 106.2
2007 rank: No. 11
GDP: $204.6 billion (2007 est.)
Population: 5,484,723 (total country); 1, 086,762 (total city)
Life expectancy: 78.13 years

No. 12: Wellington, New Zealand
Mercer score: 105.8
2007 rank: No. 12
GDP: $112.6 billion (2007 est.)
Population: 4,173,460 (total country); 370,000 (total city)
Life expectancy: 80.24 years

No. 13: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Mercer score: 105.7
2007 rank: No. 13
GDP: $638.9 billion (2007 est.)
Population: 16,645,313 (total country); 740,000 (total city)
Life expectancy: 79.25 years

No. 14: Brussels, Belgium
Mercer score: 105.4
2007 rank: No. 14
GDP: $378.9 billion (2007 est.)
Population: 10,403,951 (total country); 1,067,162 (total city)
Life expectancy: 79.07 years

No. 15: Toronto, Canada
Mercer score: 105.3
2007 rank: No. 15
GDP: $1.274 trillion (2007 est.)
Population: 33,212,696 (total country); 2,481,494 (total city)
Life expectancy: 81.16 years

No. 16: Berlin, Germany
Mercer score: 105
2007 rank: No. 16
GDP: $2.833 trillion (2007 est.)
Population: 82,369,548 (total country); 3,405,000 (total city)
Life expectancy: 79.1 years

No. 17 (tie): Melbourne, Australia
Mercer score: 104.8
2007 rank: No. 17
GDP: $766.8 billion (2007 est.)
Population: 20,600,856 (total country); 3,850,000 (total city)
Life expectancy: 80.73 years

No. 19: Ottawa, Canada
Mercer score: 104.7
2007 rank: No. 18
GDP: $1.274 trillion (2007 est.)
Population: 33,212,696 (total country); 774,072 (total city)
Life expectancy: 81.16 years

No. 20: Stockholm, Sweden
Mercer score: 104.5
2007 rank: No. 20
GDP: $333.1 billion (2007 est.)
Population: 9,045,389 (total country); 794,700 (total city)
Life expectancy: 80.74 years