Dublin has been deemed the best city for quality of life in the UK and Ireland, but could the housing crisis derail everything?
The 2018 edition of the Mercer Quality of Living City Ranking has revealed that Dublin, for the second consecutive year, is the best city to live in the UK and Ireland, coming in at 34th place overall.
This sees the Irish capital beating out the likes of London (41), Edinburgh (46), Birmingham (50), Glasgow (50) as well as popular European destinations such as Paris (39), Lisbon (38), Madrid (49) and Rome (57).
Vienna took the No 1 spot on the ranking for the ninth year in a row, followed by Zurich in second place and Munich tied with Auckland for third.
“Some of the key factors placing Dublin in 34th place in the survey include a stable political environment, lower levels of air pollution and a strong sociocultural environment. The results demonstrate that Dublin remains an attractive location for international businesses to send their employees,” said Noel O’Connor, consultant at Mercer Ireland, according to The Irish Times.
“Companies sending expatriates abroad need to get the full picture of conditions on the ground in order to compensate their employees appropriately for any decrease in living standards.
“Ultimately, the success of international assignments hinges on the personal and professional wellbeing of the individual expatriate and the welfare of their families.”
While it is positive, if not slightly surprising, to see that Dublin’s ongoing accommodation crisis has not caused the rankings to slip from 2017, its performance is not necessarily something to be celebrated.
Dublin has kept the same ranking for the past few years. On the face of it, this is neither good nor bad but, given the fervent discussion about the possibilities for Dublin to reap the benefits of post-Brexit business, it seems a negative sign that not much has happened to make it any more attractive a place to live, bar its new status as the only English-speaking country in the eurozone.
Cities such as Vienna and Frankfurt (7) are strong competitors for potential Dublin-bound business, and both cities far outperform the Irish capital in the rankings. As well as the coveted top spot, Vienna is also ranked within the top 10 most improved European cities over the last 20 years.
“Understanding how Dublin ranks against its competitors means we can prioritise actions to improve the city’s attractiveness as a place to live,” said Dublin Chamber CEO Mary Rose Burke.
“Quality of life has never been more important for people. When companies are identifying what city to base themselves in, a key criterion is now the standard of quality of life that is on offer to employees.
“The best companies are now moving to where the best talent is located. In turn, the best workers want to live where a high quality of life is on offer. This typically means a city that is affordable, easy to get around and that has a plentiful and affordable supply of housing.
“It has never been easier for workers to move around the world. The truth is, if they can’t get the quality of life they crave in Dublin, top talent, and in turn employers, will simply go elsewhere.”
Samuel Beckett Bridge, Dublin. Image: Giannis Papanikos/Shutterstock.
