Rise in Hong Kong liveability rank

Hong Kong is now the 58th most liveable location, with a rise of 35 places from last year. Singapore is once again the most liveable location in the world and many cities are seeing big drops in their rankings owing to the widespread impact of COVID-19.

ECA's Location Ratings system objectively evaluates a host of factors to form an assessment of the overall quality of living in over 490 locations worldwide. The system helps companies establish appropriate allowances to compensate employees for the adjustment required when going on an international assignment. Factors assessed include climate; availability of health services; housing and utilities; natural phenomena; isolation; access to a social network and leisure facilities; infrastructure; personal safety; political tensions; and air quality. The impact of some of the factors assessed will vary according to the home location of the assignee.

Lee Quane, Regional Director, ECA International, Asia, said “Hong Kong has rebounded in our latest liveability rankings after the protests seen throughout 2019 abated last year”. “Factors which were affected by the tensions in 2019, such as disruptions to the transportation network, recovered and crime rates fell. Moreover, Hong Kong avoided typhoons of a scale similar to those which caused disruption to the city in 2019. However, despite the recovery overall, some areas of Hong Kong’s score did worsen, such as the freedom of news and media which has been impacted by recently introduced national security legislation, and Hong Kong’s ranking remains significantly lower than in 2018.”

 Top 20 most liveable locations for East Asian overseas workers