Making the best choice regarding your expat destination will be based on several pivotal factors such as career opportunities, cost, and quality of living. However, living in a clean environment should also concern you, as it means living in a healthy environment. Check the cleanest cities in the world as ranked by Mercer to find out where you can breath fresh air, drink good quality water, stay away from infectious diseases.
Honolulu
Honolulu is the most hygienic city in the world according to Mercer's Quality of Life survey, making Hawai the place with some of the best air quality globally. At times when ecological consciousness is more important than ever, such an achievement is boosting Honolulu's charm, making it an attractive destination for international talent and business. On the other hand, it's worth mentioning that as per the American Lung Association, four in ten Americans (about 133.9 million) live in counties with unhealthy ozone levels or particle pollution.
Helsinki
The second cleanest capital city in the world and the first in Europe, Helsinki's ranking is the result of many years of hard work, innovation, and effort to live up to its reputation. Industry emissions have significantly decreased in the past years thanks to the government's commitment to ensure a clean and sustainable environment for future generations. The city has about 3,900 kilometres of cycle lanes and an efficient transport system, which consists of trams, rail, subway, buses, and ferries.
Ottawa
Ottawa, which conquers a joint second place, has been ranking among the cleanest cities in the world for many years in a row. The capital city of Canada is continuously promoting eco-friendly living with special focus on waste management and recycling. For example, the four R's program (Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) is one of Ottawa's ways to reduce pollution and conserve natural resources and energy. Also, the local authorities have implemented annual tax rates which vary depending on the carbon emission of the vehicle one owns and have established an efficient cycle sharing scheme to restrict the use of private vehicles.
Minneapolis
Mercer's results, which bring Minneapolis on the fourth place, are in accordance with the enthusiasm with which the people of Minneapolis greeted the cleanliness of their city last year. Precisely, a YouGov poll found that 90% of the surveyed said that the metropolitan area of Minneapolis-St. Paul is “very clean” or “somewhat clean”, making it the cleanest metropolitan area in the United States. Indeed, Minneapolis is a city with many open spaces, parks, golf courses, and recreation centres, where innovative clean city projects are encouraged continuously and implemented. For example, residents can actively protect waterways by keeping storm drains clean or clean up graffiti from public spaces.
Auckland
Auckland is the fifth cleanest city in the world according to Mercer's survey, and New Zealand overall has some of the less polluted air on the planet per the World Health Organisation. The residents of Auckland enjoy a healthy living environment with good air and water quality, which is especially beneficial for children and retirees. New Zealand's largest city, also known as the City of Sails due to the many yacht marinas, also holds the third position for the fifth consequent year in Mercer's Quality of Living index, justifying the popularity of this destination among expats.
