Auckland and Wellington were top of the pops last year, rated the world’s second and fourth most liveable cities.
This year, they have dropped down the rankings like a stone – and Covid-19 is largely to blame.
The 2022 Global Liveability Index, by the Economist Intelligence Unit, ranked cities around the world on factors including health care, crime rates, political stability, infrastructure and access to green space.
It ranked Auckland 34th out of 173, a considerable drop from second in 2021.
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“Auckland actually came top of the early 2021 survey. However, this changed as a more infectious Covid-19 wave struck in late 2021, which made closed borders less of a defence,” the report said.
“Although New Zealand’s lockdowns ended in December, before our survey period, its cities no longer have a Covid advantage over well-vaccinated European and Canadian cities.”
Wellington also experienced a notable drop, falling to 50th from fourth in 2021.
“Cities in New Zealand and Australia are listed among the biggest fallers in our rankings, including Wellington and Auckland, which tumbled by 46 and 33 places respectively.”
The city in first place this year is Vienna, Austria. In last place is Damascus, Syria.
“The biggest moves up our rankings are by cities in Western Europe. Most German, UK and French cities had slipped in our survey a year ago because they were still under Covid restrictions imposed as the Delta wave spread across the continent.”
The report said liveability was at risk throughout 2022.
“Global prices for many goods, particularly food and fuel, rose sharply in 2021 and have since soared as a result of the war in Ukraine,” the report said.
"High- and middle-income cities will use a combination of social restrictions and a renewed vaccination push to contain the variant, affecting liveability again.
“Those with low vaccination rates and a poor social safety net, particularly cities in Africa, are more likely to live with rising caseloads and the resulting disruption.”
“The Covid-19 pandemic has affected living conditions in many cities, owing to its impact on the healthcare infrastructure, and restrictions and lockdown measures imposed by governments, which have put the healthcare, culture and environment, and education categories under stress.”
Kyiv was excluded from the 2022 report due to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
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