The best UK cities for European expats to live, according to a study

New research has found the best cities in the UK for European expats to live in
Unsplash/Adam Wilson
Katy Clifton13 February 2019

New research has found the best cities in the UK for European expats to live in.

Edinburgh was given the top spot, with the Scottish capital being the only UK city to feature in the global top 20 compiled by global mobility firm ECA International, coming joint 19th in the full list with Stockholm.

Aberdeen was close behind in the ranking for "liveability", ranking second in the UK and taking 21st place in the worldwide list.

London placed near the bottom of the top 50, dropping one place since last year to 49th, which senior location ratings analyst at ECA Neil Ashman said was partly to do with crime levels and air quality.

London placed near the bottom of the top 50
Getty Images

Mr Ashman, a senior location ratings analyst at ECA, said: "Edinburgh and Aberdeen lead the way for UK cities in terms of liveability due to a range of factors including lower air pollution and a greater level of personal security.

"However, what really makes these two cities outshine others in the UK is the existing expat community.

"This is an important factor in the liveability analysis, as a solid network of expatriates will help newcomers feel less isolated and reduces the anticipated culture shock for workers that relocate from overseas.

“Although London has continued to see higher air pollution and crime levels in the past year, the city's overall liveability score has remained steady, in part due to the improved availability of expatriate-standard housing.

"It is understandable that smaller cities such as Edinburgh, Manchester and Belfast score better in areas that will always pose a challenge for a city as big as London, such air quality and personal security.

“This is a trend we see repeated throughout the world."

Edinburgh and Aberdeen have been named as the best cities in the UK for European expats to live in
PA

ECA evaluates global cities on a variety of factors, including the availability of health services, housing and utilities, isolation, access to a social network and leisure facilities, climate, personal safety and political tensions.

Northern European cities dominate the top of the rankings, with Copenhagen in Denmark and Bern in Switzerland found jointly to offer the best liveability standards for European expats.

The Netherlands - with The Hague, Amsterdam and Eindhoven - and Switzerland - with Geneva and Basel - each have three cities in the top 10.

Irish capital Dublin re-entered the top 10 for European workers this year, sitting in joint ninth on par with Gothenburg in Sweden and Luxembourg City.

Meanwhile, the most liveable non-European location for European expats was named as Toronto in Canada.

Canberra in Australia, Wellington in New Zealand and Singapore were also praised in the rankings, which measures the quality of expatriate living conditions in over 480 locations around the world.

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