Zurich: Not the Most Livable City in Europe, but the Friendliest

City survey: Zurich is not the most livable city in Europe, but it is the friendliest

Published 22 June 2023, 11:50 am

According to a survey by “Monocle” magazine, Zurich’s quality of life has declined this year. One of the reasons for this is the housing shortage. The city on the Limmat came fourth in a city survey on quality of life. In 2019 Zurich was in first place, in 2021 and 2022 in second place.

However, Zurich still holds the title of the friendliest city in Europe, according to a study by Bounce, a luggage storage company. The city’s positive rating in dealing with the LGBTQ+ community contributed to this recognition.

In the “Monocle” city survey, Vienna took first place this year, followed by Copenhagen and Munich. Zurich’s decline in attractiveness can be attributed to various factors, including the housing shortage, high purchase and rental costs, and the long transition phase of the day school. The city’s bicycle routes and the increase in graffiti were also mentioned as concerns. Additionally, the inflexible shop opening times and the crash of Credit Suisse negatively impacted Zurich’s ranking.

Despite these challenges, Tyler Brûlé, the editor-in-chief of “Monocle,” stated that Zurich is still performing well and remains among the top cities. However, he noted that the city lacks a certain “easyness” in entrepreneurial projects compared to cities like Copenhagen.

In a similar ranking by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Zurich came sixth, while Vienna secured the first place. Vienna’s focus on social housing contributed to its top ranking. Copenhagen and Munich also performed well, with Munich jumping from eleventh to third place. The Monocle editorial team attributed Munich’s success to a combination of top universities, visionary investors, and local business champions.

Despite not being the most livable city, Zurich has been recognized as the friendliest city in Europe. Bounce’s survey highlighted the positive rating in dealing with the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the level of happiness and security against pickpocketing.

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How does Zurich’s decline in livability affect its ranking in the “Monocle” survey compared to other European cities?

Zurich has been dethroned as the most livable city in Europe, according to a survey by “Monocle” magazine. The city’s decline in quality of life can be attributed to various factors, including a housing shortage and high costs of living. However, Zurich still holds the title of the friendliest city in Europe, as recognized by a study conducted by Bounce, a luggage storage company.

In the “Monocle” survey, Vienna claimed the top spot this year, followed by Copenhagen and Munich. Zurich’s drop in attractiveness can be attributed to issues such as the housing shortage, high purchase and rental costs, and the long transition phase of the school day. Concerns were also raised about the city’s bike routes and increased graffiti. Furthermore, Zurich’s inflexible shop opening times and the Credit Suisse crash negatively impacted its ranking.

Despite these challenges, Tyler Brûlé, the editor-in-chief of “Monocle,” acknowledged that Zurich still performs well and remains among the top cities. However, he noted that the city lacks a certain entrepreneurial “easiness” compared to cities like Copenhagen.

In a similar ranking by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Zurich secured the sixth spot, while Vienna claimed first place. Vienna’s focus on social housing contributed to its top ranking. Copenhagen and Munich also performed well, with Munich seeing a significant jump from eleventh to third place. The editorial team at Monocle credited Munich’s success to its top universities, visionary investors, and local business champions.

Although Zurich may not be deemed the most livable city, it has been recognized as the friendliest city in Europe. Bounce’s survey highlighted Zurich’s positive rating in its treatment of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the general level of happiness and security against pickpocketing in the city.

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