Friday, 06 February 2015 08:55

 

For “health security”, Barcelona is in seventh place, and fourth in Europe

Barcelona is one of the safest cities in the world, according to the ‘Safe Cities Index 2015’ just published by The Economist’s Intelligence Unit (EIU), which also identifies Barcelona as one of the best cities in the world in which to live. With house prices bottoming out in Barcelona, these rankings help build the argument that Barcelona is also a safe property investment at this stage in the cycle explains Mark Stücklin, a Barcelona-based property market analyst and consultant, and author of the 'Spanish Property Doctor' column in the Sunday Times.

The article in the Spanish Property Inisght continues stating that according to the Economist Safe City Index 2015, Barcelona is the 15th safest city in the world, the third safest city in the EU, and the fourth safest in Europe, after Stockholm, Amsterdam, and Zurich, and ahead of London (18), Frankfurt (19), and Madrid (21).

For “health security”, Barcelona is in seventh place, and fourth in Europe, based on factors such as the ratio of hospital beds to population size and life expectancy. Health security is a big driver of preferences for international property buyers.
The Index focuses on the top 50 cities selected by The Economist Intelligence Unit, using four thematic categories of digital security, health security, infrastructure safety, and personal safety, incorporating more than 40 quantitative and qualitative indicators.
The report points out that “cities are already home to a majority of people on the planet,” with urban populations ranging from 82% in North America to 40% in Africa. “All regions are expected to follow this trend towards greater urbanisation over the next three decades.”
In future, city safety will be an increasingly important factor determining where people would like to live. “Urban safety is therefore a critical issue that is set to become even more important over time,” says the report.

which is the best city in the world to live? Barcelona, 17th

In the EIU’s Index of Indexes, which helps to answer the question “which is the best city in the world to live?” Barcelona is in 17th place, and sixth in Europe behind Stockholm, Amsterdam, Zurich, Brussels, and Frankfurt. The answer to this question is, of course, highly subjective, as the report acknowledges.
“Deciding where to live is a personal choice for many city residents. For some, safety will be paramount. Others will prioritise culture and creativity,” explains the report. “Two neighbours may hold opposite views on democracy and the cost of living. But often choice will be based on a mixture of reasons: an entrepreneur looking for the best city to start a business may also intend to start a family.”

As Stücklin clarifies in his analysis on property investment in Barcelona: “With a high safety ranking, Barcelona only becomes more attractive to foreign investment as it already ranks high in many cosmopolitan areas such as culture, architecture, health care, schooling, and quality of life.”