* Guest blog post written by Justin Greig
There are an estimated 6.3 million Americans living overseas and according to Expat Info Desk that number is growing, especially for younger people. The article reported the number of Americans ages 25 to 34 who plan to relocate abroad has rapidly increased in the past two years, jumping to 5.1 percent from less than 1. Forty percent of all Americans 18 to 24 expressed strong interest in moving out of the U.S. Whether it be for political reasoning, job relocation or simply a wanderlust urge, the fact is Americans are going global.
What to Consider When Moving Abroad
There are many things to consider when planning to move abroad: Should you sell your car or your furniture? Maybe you’ve looked into Smart Stop self storage, but what kind of long-term self storage facilities are available and how much do they cost? What about flying pets internationally? Do I still have to pay U.S. taxes and will I be able to get a job? There are a lot of questions and considerations. Most importantly, where is the best place to go? Some cities are more “livable” than others when moving abroad. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual report of global livability tells us which cities are “easiest to live in.”
EIU’s global livability report ranks 140 cities on their living conditions, which are broken down into five main categories: Stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. These broad categories are then broken down into 30 determining factors scored from 1-100.
For the second year in a row, Melbourne is dubbed the “Most Livable City.” This winning city in Australia received near-perfect scores across all categories. According to Australia’s ABC News, Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said it is great news for Melbourne and adds to the city’s marketing potential.
“Overall, it is a remarkable testament to our remarkable city and I think we should be very proud of that,” he said.
Vienna, Austria came in a close second in the survey, receiving a score only 0.1 lower than Melbourne. The scores of the top cities remain very similar, Vancouver, Canada, formerly at the top of the list, kept a very high score as well. According to the Economist, Vancouver’s score fell fractions of a point largely due to “increased congestion.”
The Most Livable Cities
The top 10 most livable cities and their scores are:
Melbourne, Australia-97.5
Vienna, Austria-97.4
Vancouver, Canada-97.3
Calgary, Canada-96.6
Adelaide, Australia-96.6
Sydney, Australia-96.1
Helsinki, Finland-96.0
Perth, Australia-95.9
Auckland, New Zealand-95.7
The scores are very close among the highest-rated cities and each of them can boast stable success. Some have made drastic improvements as well, Adelaide moving from ninth in 2011 to sixth in 2012. The highest-ranked U.S. city is Honolulu, HI, at spot 26.
The Least Livable Cities
At the other end of the spectrum, the “least-livable” cities on the list are:
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire-45.9
Tehran, Iran-45.8
Douala, Cameroon-43.3
Tripoli, Libya-42.8
Karachi, Pakistan-40.9
Algiers, Algeria-40.9
Harare, Zimbabwe-39.4
Lagos, Nigeria-39.0
Port Moresby, PNG-38.9
Dhaka, Bangladesh-38.7
While the survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit should not be the main factor in determining where you want to travel to and potentially call home, it is a good thing to keep in mind when considering employment, infrastructure, safety, healthcare and other important factors for your life.
About The Author ::
Justin Greig – A Self-Proclaimed “21st Century Hippie”. Justin studied Journalism at Berkeley and freelance for many environmental publications. He has a special interest in conservation, and he and his wife recently added solar panels to their home.
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Thanks Justin for your great insight to Melbourne as being the most livable city. We also love Melbourne City! We have visited a few times, looking forward to visiting again sometime soon. Actually David and I have talked about how we would love to retire to Melbourne and live in a little apartment (once the kids are all grown up and left home) because they have so much to see and do.
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