Air pollution keeps Hong Kong in 28th place in expat liveability ranking, while Singapore takes top spot
Mainland cities also fare poorly in survey measuring quality of life for Asian expatriates due to rise in internet censorship and drop in air quality
Hong Kong came in 28th in a global ranking of the most liveable cities for Asian expatriates – retaining roughly the same spot for three straight years – due to its failure to address poor air quality and the greater risk of infectious diseases spreading across its densely-packed population.
Singapore retained the top spot for the 16th year running, with Australian and Japanese cities close behind, according to the survey of over 470 locations by human resources consultancy ECA International.
No mainland Chinese city was ranked above 100 in the latest findings released on Tuesday. Shanghai and Beijing were placed at 114th and 134th.
To produce the annual survey, researchers measure the quality of life for expatriates in locations around the world, assessing factors such as climate, health care, housing, infrastructure, political tension and air quality.
But the cost of living was not a factor, as it was deemed as an issue that could be solved by adjusting expatriate pay packages.
Lee Quane, ECA International’s Regional Director of Asia said the results were based on objective indicators only, but not expats’ opinion.
