A newly published Quality of Life ranking from Deutsche Bank rates Wellington the best place to live among 47 global cities, beating the likes of New York, London and Shanghai to the top spot. This follows consistent top-tier quality of life and liveability rankings for the capital in listings including Mercer, Numbeo and The Economist.

Chris Whelan, Chief Executive of the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency says rankings of this kind are worth more than simply a collective ego boost. 

“These rankings play a vital part in attracting top international talent to live and work in Wellington. 

Mr Whelan said Wellington’s exceptional quality of life helps it stand out on the world stage. 

“If you look at the latest ranking, Wellington is by some margin the smallest centre on the list. We’re in a global war for talent and this helps us successfully compete against some of the most powerful cities on the planet, in arena that is increasingly important to a strong, sustainable economy.” 

Mr Whelan said increasing global connectivity unlocks tremendous opportunity for cities and regions like Wellington. 

“In a world economy where high-value, innovation-led, weightless exports are a focus for growth and investment, distance is no longer a tyrant.  Talent is the new oil and talented people are more open to relocating for opportunity than ever. Quality of life becomes a critical factor in determining who develops, attracts and retains the best of the best.”

Mr Whelan said one of WREDA’s objectives is to ensure Wellington is globally-recognised as a desirable destination.  

 “This is exactly the kind of result WREDA seeks to drive and amplify. As the region’s destination marketing agency, we’ll leverage this ranking to strengthen Wellington’s credentials as a place to create your future.  From our marketing collateral to our media programme, these external endorsements from reputable agencies to help us build Wellington’s global reputation.” 

Mr Whelan said the Deutsche Bank listing was timely as Wellington prepares to welcome candidates from the LookSee Wellington global tech talent attraction programme, which attracted more than 48,000 applications from around the world. 

“Wellington’s quality of life proposition has been a key component of LookSee Wellington’s marketing. WREDA will ensure these candidates are well aware of the latest ranking, and more importantly, they get a first-hand taste of the lifestyle Wellingtonians are lucky enough to enjoy.” 

The latest ranking looked at multiple factors to determine the overall ranking, with Wellington’s highest scores coming in the Pollution (#1 ranking), Traffic Commute Time, (#2), Property Price to Income Ratio (#3) and Purchasing Power (#6) indices.

TOP TEN CITIES OVERALL 

1. Wellington, New Zealand
2. Edinburgh, Scotland
3. Vienna, Austria
4. Melbourne, Australia
5. Zurich, Switzerland
6. Copenhagen, Denmark
7. Ottawa, Canada
8. Boston, United States
9. Amsterdam, Netherlands
10. Sydney, Australia

Originally published here.