Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary Receive High Ratings
In August 2016, the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released its annual assessment of the world’s most livable cities and once again named three Canadian cities among the top five best places to live for quality life. As occurred in 2015 and previous years, the EIU researchers ranked Vancouver as the 3rd most livable city in the world, followed by #4 Toronto and #5 Calgary (which tied with the Australian city of Adelaide).
Each year, researchers at The Economist examine 140 cities around the globe and give them a “livability” score on a scale of 0 to 100. Scores are based on five factors: stability, healthcare, culture & environment, education, and infrastructure. The EIU rated Vancouver #3 in the world for livability with an almost perfect score of 97.3, while #4 Toronto also earned a very high score of 97.2 and #5 Calgary was given 96.6. By comparison, the #1 most livable city in the world (Melbourne, Australia) had a score of 97.5 and 2nd place Vienna, Austria, received 97.4 on the EIU livability scale. Thus, there was only a fraction of a percentage point difference among the top cities.
Although Vancouver received an overall livability score of 97.3, British Columbia’s largest city was given a perfect score of 100 on three out of the five quality of life factors: healthcare, culture & environment, and education. Vancouver’s stability rating was 95, while it received 92.9 for infrastructure. Canada’s largest city, Toronto, was given a perfect score of 100 for stability, healthcare and education, while also receiving 97.2 for culture & environment, and 89.3 for infrastructure. Calgary also obtained perfect scores of 100 for stability, healthcare and education, plus Alberta’s largest city was given a score of 89.1 for culture & environment, and 96.4 for infrastructure.
It is no coincidence that many people who immigrate to Canada choose to live in Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary – all of which have large immigrant populations. These three cities offer a high standard of living, have many job opportunities and are comfortable places for Canadian newcomers to settle. This high quality of life is not unique to Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary. Canadians are generally some of the most prosperous and immigrant-friendly people on the planet, plus the Canadian government and businesses want more foreign nationals to immigrate to Canada. Skilled foreign workers are especially needed for many jobs in Canada, but the Canadian government and people also want more families and refugees to live in Canada as well.
For example, approximately 160,000 people are approved to immigrate to Canada each year through Canadian immigration programs designed for skilled foreign workers and their families. The Canadian government has also brought tens of thousands of refugees fleeing the Syrian Civil War to live in Canada over the past several months. By the end of 2016, Canada’s government plans to approve around 300,000 people for Canadian immigration through different visa programs.
What do all of these numbers mean? In short, people who live in Canada enjoy a high standard of living that makes this beautiful country one of the top destinations for immigrants looking for better opportunities in life. If you would like to live in Canada, perhaps in one of the most livable cities in the world, the authorized Canadian immigration consultants who work with Canadian Visa Expert can evaluate your eligibility to apply for a visa. Clients who qualify can also receive personalized assistance through each step of the Canadian immigration process. To learn more, click here!
