Oh, dear. Sydney and Melbourne’s rankings amongst the top 10 ‘most liveable’ cities across the globe have plummeted.
The wake of covid-19 has seen a rejumbling of the world’s top 10 most liveable cities, knocking Sydney off the list from 3rd place in 2019 to 11th in 2021.
Melbourne previously topped the list seven years in a row, from 2010-2017.
However, 2021 has seen their score plummet to 9th place in what is likely the impact of the pandemic, border closures and case surges.
The annual rankings, conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), are influenced by five categories, including the stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure within 140 counties.
Auckland in New Zealand, was ranked #1 as the most liveable city due to their successful approach towards the covid-19 pandemic.
Implementing a strict lockdown and border closure saw minimal cases surface on New Zealand shores, paying dividends to the country’s economy and overall living conditions.
Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand, was commended for her quick response to the pandemic, which allowed social gatherings and cultural activities to continue throughout the height of the pandemic.
However, the liveability rankings awarded to NZ cities, Auckland (1) and Wellington (4), have left others confused.
The housing in both cities has been placed amongst the “least affordable” in the world, with undesirable living conditions and houses described as “old, cold and damp“.
It says everything about the state of the planet that Wellington could be ranked the fourth most liveable city in the world. https://t.co/UbWLFNwzHL
— Ben McKay (@benmackey) June 9, 2021
Simon Baptist, the global chief economist at the EIU, mentioned that cities experiencing case surges during the global survey period experienced a drop in their ratings.
The reduced scores for Sydney and Melbourne can be credited to their more relaxed approaches to restrictions and border closures, compared to other states.
Even in lockdown Melbourne is more livable that Sydney!
— Leon (@LeonTraveling) June 9, 2021
Melbourne has recently emerged from its fourth lockdown, and despite receiving a higher liveability rating than Sydney, they are still struggling with keeping new covid cases under wraps; Victoria has just recorded four new covid cases.
Fingers crossed, a fifth lockdown doesn’t evolve for Melbourne.
