Vancouver the world's most 'liveable' city: Survey

Vancouver in Canada is the world's most pleasant city in which to live, according to a survey of 127 destinations published today.

Vancouver in Canada is the world's most pleasant city in which to live, according to a survey of 127 destinations published today which assesses factors such as risk, infrastructure and goods and services.

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At the other end of the table compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the thinktank arm of the London-based magazine, were Port Moresby, the dilapidated, crime-ridden capital of Papua New Guinea, and Algiers.

Overall, the vast majority of attractive destinations were in Europe, North America and Australia, with only Tokyo and Osaka sneaking into the top 20.

In contrast, African cities performed badly, with Pretoria and Johannesburg the highest-ranked at joint 85th.

Cities in Canada, Australia, Austria and Switzerland filled the entire top 10.

"In the current global political climate, it is no surprise that the most desirable destinations are those with a lower perceived threat of terrorism," said Jon Copestake, editor of the report.

The survey looked at almost 40 individual indicators in the categories of stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure, giving percentage scores for problems and risks.

Vancouver, on Canada's Pacific coast, topped the table with a tally of just one per cent, the effect of a small risk from personal crime. In contrast, Port Moresby and Algiers were marked at 66 per cent, well above the 50 per cent viewed as placing severe restrictions on lifestyle.