The city-state of Singapore has taken the number one spot in the latest ranking of the world’s 20 best places to live for overseas workers in East Asia. The ranking is compiled annually by ECA International, which provides global mobility solutions to businesses.
ECA International released its 2023 Location Assessment Report in mid-January 2024, stating in a media release: “Singapore remains the best city to live in for Asian expatriates and has one of the lowest crime rates among tourist attractions.”
ECA’s General Manager for Asia, Mark Harrison, elaborated on this, saying: “With its excellent infrastructure and facilities, low crime rate and low exposure to socio-political tensions, Singapore remains a very attractive location for expatriates. ” he said. However, improvements have been seen elsewhere in the region; [as a result] The gap between Singapore and the rest of the world has narrowed. ”
Other salient features of the 2023 rankings, according to ECA International, include:
- The ease of living in Hong Kong and mainland China has improved over the past 12 months as pandemic restrictions have been lifted.
- Steady improvements over the past decade have also made mainland China’s cities more livable than they were a decade ago.
- Although Hong Kong’s overall ranking has declined over the past five years, it remains among the top 10 most livable cities in Asia.
- Thanks to steady improvements over the past decade, parts of Southeast Asia have moved up the rankings.
Regarding how cities are ranked, a media release states: “ECA’s Location Ratings objectively evaluates cities around the world, forming an overall quality of life rating for expatriates in more than 500 locations around the world.
“This ranking is based on a variety of livability factors, such as the availability of medical services; housing and utilities; segregation; access to social networks and recreation and leisure facilities; infrastructure; climate; safety; sociopolitical tensions; and air quality. The impact of several of the factors assessed varies depending on the location of the person’s home.”
Southeast Asian cities rise
“We are seeing a number of small but significant improvements in areas such as transport infrastructure, health services and recreational facilities in some parts of Southeast Asia that are making these places more attractive,” Harrison said. ”.
This gradual pattern of improvement has seen cities such as Jakarta (from 213 to 196), Phnom Penh (from 200 to 184), and Hanoi (from 160 to 144) rise in the rankings.
Mainland China and Hong Kong
Mainland Chinese cities have risen significantly in the rankings over the past decade, despite losing some momentum due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some aspects of life continue to be difficult for expatriates, including high levels of pollution, censorship, and suboptimal medical facilities.
However, Shenzhen (ranked 137th this year, up from 152nd ten years ago), Xi’an (ranked 163rd this year, up from 176th), and Wuhan (up from 160th to 163rd this year) This is due to improvements in areas such as transportation infrastructure and the provision of international schooling. 145th) ranking has improved.
Hong Kong will become a better place to live in 2022 and beyond as the final coronavirus-related restrictions are lifted. “Hong Kong and mainland China were among the last places globally to lift restrictions, meaning they were relatively inhospitable places to live during the final stages of the pandemic,” Mr Harrison said. “With the belated lifting of these restrictions, both our Hong Kong and mainland China locations have seen improvement over the past 12 months.”
ECA International’s 2023 location ratings reflect the situation as of November 2023 and all scores are accurate at the time of publication. Rankings are compared to 2013.