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Singapore Has Been Most Liveable City For Asian Expatriates Over Last 10 Years: ECA International

Singapore has gained, or rather, retained the accolade of the ‘Most Liveable City’ for Asian expatriates or expats.

The city nation has held this position for 10 consecutive years, said a global mobility specialist.

Among the reasons for staying at the top spot are the low crime rate and excellent infrastructure.

HR consultancy ratings system measures expats’ quality of living

Singapore was feted as the Most Liveable City for Asian expatriates in a report released on 17 Jan by ECA International, a human resources consultancy.

The firm compiles an annual Location Ratings system, which measures expatriates’ quality of living in more than 500 locations around the world.

This helps them get an idea of how difficult it will be to adapt after moving to a new city.

Cities are evaluated on factors such as:

• Climate
• Availability of health services
• Housing and utilities
• Isolation
• Access to a social network and leisure facilities
• Infrastructure
• Personal safety
• Political tensions
• Air quality

Singapore most liveable city as it’s very attractive for Asian expats

Singapore was named ‘Most Liveable City’ for Asian expats yet again as it remains “very attractive” for them, said ECA’s General Manager for Asia Mark Harrison.

This was due to the city’s:

1. Excellent infrastructure and facilities
2. Low crime rates
3. Little exposure to socio-political tensions

The Republic has remained on top over the last 10 years, the report said, comparing the 2023 rankings with those from 2013.

Singapore has been in pole position for longer than that, however.

ECA’s report released last year stated that Singapore’s status as the ‘Most Liveable City’ has been in place since 2005 — almost 20 years ago.

Tokyo takes No. 2 spot behind Singapore

However, other cities are catching up, with the gap between them and Singapore narrowing.

For example, Tokyo rose from No. 9 in 2013 to take 2nd place in the rankings despite the threat of natural disasters.

In 2013, Japan was still living with the after-effects of the 2011 earthquake but living conditions have improved.

Source: Takashi Miyazaki on Unsplash

Mainland China’s cities have improved but Hong Kong has plunged

Other cities that have improved in the rankings include those in Mainland China such as Shenzhen, Xian and Wuhan, ECA said.

This is also due to an improvement in living conditions compared with 2013, for example in transport infrastructure and international schooling provision.

However, some aspects of life that are challenging for expats include high pollution levels, censorship, and suboptimal healthcare facilities.

The Covid-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions also caused Chinese cities to lose momentum and fall in the rankings for a few years.

Unfortunately, Hong Kong’s ranking has plunged to 77th, from 17th in 2013.

This is due to the protests and political demonstrations in 2014 and 2019, ECA added. Since then, assessment factors relating to sociopolitical tensions and freedom of expression have worsened.

Source: Florian Wehde on Unsplash

Hong Kong is still an attractive location compared with others in the region, though, thanks to its excellent facilities, infrastructure, recreational options and low crime rates.

Thus, the city is one of Asia’s top 10 most liveable cities, behind only Singapore and cities in Japan and South Korea.

Cities in Southeast Asia improve rankings

In Southeast Asia, cities that improved their rankings include Jakarta, Phnom Penh and Hanoi.

This is due to “small but significant improvements” in transport infrastructure, health services and recreational facilities, among other areas.

But ECA also noted that Yangon had suffered large swings in its ranking.

Myanmar’s largest city rose from No. 225 to No. 208 between 2013 and 2018 after civilian rule was installed.

However, it then fell to No. 229 after military rule returned in 2021.

Wellington, Adelaide, Eindhoven & Vancouver among best cities outside Asia

Cities outside Asia that did well in the rankings were Wellington, New Zealand and Adelaide, Australia.

They’re joint 2nd with Tokyo among global cities.

Source: ECA International

The highest-placing European city was Eindhoven in the Netherlands (7th), while Vancouver, Canada was the North American city with the highest position at 23rd.

Also read: S’pore Named World’s Most Expensive City For 9th Time, Has Highest Transport Prices Globally

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Featured image adapted from Max Felner on Unsplash.