The World's Most Liveable Cities

Every year The Economist releases its annual ranking of the world’s most liveable cities – and this year, we have schools in seven of the cities! The ranking considers factors such as education, health care, safety, environment and stability, and rates cities all over the world according to these factors. This year the list was dominated by Australia and Canada, with Melbourne being voted the world’s most liveable city for the FIFTH year in a row.

According to this metric, Vancouver and Toronto came in third and fourth as the world’s most liveable cities, Adelaide was rated fifth, Sydney came in seventh position, while Perth and Auckland were voted as the ninth and tenth most liveable cities.

Now you no longer have to doubt us when we say we have schools in the best cities and locations – it’s a fact! So to celebrate the fact that we have schools in SEVEN of the world’s most liveable cities, here’s some interesting facts about the world’s most liveable cities.

1) Melbourne

• Melbourne is home to the highest Italian and Greek population in the world outside of their own countries.
• The maximum temperature ever recorded in Melbourne was 46.4 degrees in 2009.
• Melbourne has the highest number of restaurants and cafes per number of people than any other city in the world.
• Before it was named Melbourne, the city was originally named ‘Batmania.’

3) Vancouver

• Greenpeace, the organisation known for its international environmental campaigns, was established in Vancouver in 1971.
• In an average year, Vancouver will see 165 days of rainfall!
• Vancouver is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world - 53% of Vancouver’s residents do not speak English as their first language.    

4) Toronto

• Toronto is seen as the most multicultural city in the world, as over 50% of its 5 million population are made up from citizens who were born elsewhere in the world.
• The coldest temperature ever recorded in Toronto was -31.3C, in 1981. The wind chill on that day was -44.7C, the coldest ever
• Toronto’s Yonge Street is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest street in the world, stretching 1,896km in length

5) Adelaide

• Adelaide is often referred to as the ’20 minute city’ as it is reported that everywhere within the city, such as the city centre, beach, airport and other main destinations, can all be easily accessed within 20 minutes of each other.
• In 1872, Adelaide was the first Australian capital city to be connected by telegraph with London.
• Adelaide boasts around 2,500 hours of sunshine a year.

7) Sydney

• The Sydney Opera House was completed in 1973, taking 14 years and 10 thousand construction workers to build, at a final cost of $102 million. The original estimate of the cost to build the Sydney Opera House was $7 million.
• The Sydney Harbour Bridge is the widest and tallest bridge in the world.
• English, Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Greek and Vietnamese are the main languages spoken in Sydney
• Sydney attracts around 3.5 million international visitors every year.   

9) Perth

• Perth is the sunniest capital city in the world, with the city enjoying over 8 hours of sunshine a day.
• The booming mining industry in Perth means that Perth boast the highest per capita number of self made millionaires in any city in the world.
• Perth was named the ‘City of Lights’ by astronauts as it stood out as the brightest spot on earth.
• Perth is the only city in the world where an aircraft can land in the central business district.

10) Auckland

• Auckland has 265 days of sunshine per year.
• Auckland’s Sky Tower is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere, measuring 328 meters high!
• Auckland was previously the capital of New Zealand between the years of 1842-1865.
• The longest place name in the world is Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu, a hill in Hawkes Bay, Auckland.