Vienna (AFP)

Vienna stands out for the second consecutive year as the world's most pleasant city, in a ranking published Wednesday, which sees Paris demoted because of the impact of the movement of yellow vests.

The Austrian capital confirms its advantage after being the first European city to seize last year's head of this annual ranking, conducted by "Economist Intelligence Unit", the research unit and analysis affiliated to the weekly English The Economist.

Its infrastructures, the air quality, its cultural, educational and medical offer are close to perfection, in a context of enviable stability, the authors analyze.

For the second consecutive year, the Austrian capital scored 99.1 points, ahead of Melbourne (98.4), which remained in first place, and Sydney (98.1).

Australia and Canada dominate the Top 10, with three cities each. Japan is also present with Tokyo and Osaka. Copenhagen, the second largest city in Europe, ranks ninth in the world.

The report points out that Paris lost six places (25th), because of the impact of the movement of yellow vests.

Each year, 140 agglomerations are evaluated on a 100-point scale according to a series of indicators: standard of living, crime, transport networks, access to education and medicine, economic and political stability.

For the first time, the index incorporates a parameter that takes into account the effects of climate change on quality of life: in this respect, New Delhi and Cairo are sanctioned because of "poor air quality, average temperatures disgusting and insufficient water supply ".

"We expect climate change issues to put increasing pressure on the livability of cities," said Agathe Demarais of EIU.

While several cities in emerging countries have gained points in recent years, because of improved stability, the education system and care, these advances are "seriously threatened by an increasingly unfavorable climate", a- she added.

London and New York (USA), still faced with the perception of a significant risk of crime and terrorism and overcrowded infrastructure, rank 48th and 58th, respectively.

At the bottom of the ranking, the five least welcoming cities are Damascus, Lagos, Dhaka, Tripoli and Karachi.

In another study published in March 2019, Mercer also ranked Vienna at the top of the list of cities offering the highest quality of life in the world for the tenth consecutive year.

Link to the report: https://www.eiu.com/topic/liveability

© 2019 AFP