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The impact of Covid-19 on global habitability has been absolutely devastating.
After more than a year of a pandemic, the health crisis, border closures and lockdowns continue to affect millions of people around the world.
But some destinations have fared much better than others at managing the virus, meaning those who live there were able to return to a semblance of normal life much sooner.
New Zealand has received much praise for its management of the crisis, so it is no wonder that one of its cities was named the most livable city in the world in 2021.
Auckland ranks first in The Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Habitability Index, which includes 140 cities around the world, thanks to its success in rapidly containing the pandemic, allowing restrictions to be lifted from the start.
The annual list did not come out in 2020, but Austria's Vienna, number one in both 2018 and 2019, fell completely from the top 10 after being hit hard by the covid, and now ranks 12th.
Oceania Country Domain
Perth is one of the Australian cities to break into the Top 10.
Credit: Paul Kane / Getty Images
New Zealand's capital Wellington became fourth on this year's list, tying with Tokyo, Japan and four Australian cities, where tough border controls have been enforced throughout the crisis, rank 10th.
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Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane ranked third, sixth and 10th respectively, while Melbourne tied with Geneva, Switzerland for number eight.
"The cities that have risen to the top of the rankings this year are mostly those that have taken strict measures to contain the pandemic," said Upasana Dutt of The Economist Intelligence Unit in a statement.
"The harsh confinement of New Zealand allowed its society to reopen and the citizens of cities like Auckland and Wellington to enjoy a lifestyle similar to that of before the pandemic."
Meanwhile, Tokyo was not the only Japanese city near the top of the list.
Osaka, who was number four in 2019, has risen to second place.
Although Asia-Pacific cities appear to have stood out, Canada, which had three cities, Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto near the top two years ago, has completely come out of the top 10. At number 16, Vancouver is the Canadian city. most prominent on the list.
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Perhaps not surprisingly, the global average livability score has dropped seven points compared to pre-pandemic numbers.
The index considers more than 30 qualitative and quantitative factors that cover five broad categories: stability (25%), healthcare (20%), culture and environment (25%), education (10%) and infrastructure (20%).
Although the categories have not changed this year, some indicators, such as pressure on health resources and restrictions on local sporting events, have been taken into account when calculating scores for the categories of health, culture and health. environment, and education.
However, the way each city has managed the pandemic, the speed with which vaccines have been distributed, and the level of border restrictions in place have led to major changes in the classification.
Health impact
The city of Osaka in Japan rose two spots, and is now the second most livable city in the world.
Credit: Buddhika Weerasinghe / Getty Images
"The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on global habitability," adds Dutt.
"Cities around the world are now much less livable than before the pandemic started, and we have seen regions like Europe particularly affected."
In Europe, Germany saw the biggest declines in the rankings, especially the city of Hamburg, which fell 34 places to 47th on the list.
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However, despite some social restrictions still in force in Switzerland, the Central European country has seen a rise in two of its cities: Zurich and Geneva have gone from 11th and 14th to seventh and eighth, respectively.
Overall health care scores have also declined due to the pandemic, with Prague in the Czech Republic, Athens in Greece and Jakarta in Indonesia where the number of cases was increasing at the time of the survey. survey, which have obtained significantly lower scores than in previous years.
By comparison, the Spanish cities of Barcelona and Madrid performed well in the healthcare category, gaining nearly 25 points as their healthcare systems experienced less stress compared to the first wave of covid-19 in 2020.
Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii, also increased its health score, with an increase of 33 points as a result of the reduction in the number of covid cases and good vaccination rates.
In fact, Honolulu is one of the cities that has risen the most on the 2021 list, climbing 46 spots to No. 14. Houston has risen 25 spots to No. 31, a rise likely related to the fact that Texas It is one of the first US states to lift restrictions on public spaces.
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Deterioration of conditions
Vienna in Austria ranked first for two years in a row, but now dropped to 12th place.
Credit: JOE KLAMAR / AFP via Getty Images
But while there have been many significant differences at the top, very little has changed at the bottom of the list.
While Damascus is back in last place "as the effects of the civil war in Syria continue to take their toll", it is closely followed by Lagos in Nigeria, Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea and Dhaka in Bangladesh. holding similar or identical positions in 2019.
These cities have had a negative outcome over the years due to instability caused by ongoing civil unrest and military conflict, among other problems.
According to the report, conditions here have deteriorated further in the last 12 months, especially when it comes to healthcare, due to covid-19.
Although the success of vaccination and the easing of restrictions in several countries are cause for hope, the pandemic continues to rage, and India is currently in the midst of a deadly outbreak.
"Conditions in the poorest cities are likely to deteriorate further, if cities do not get the vaccines they need to prevent the spread of new covid-19 variants," the report reads.
"Poor health systems could come under further pressure, as has happened in India."
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Ultimately, this means that we will likely see more significant changes to the annual list in 2022, with some of the cities that have dropped possibly reverting to their previous positions.
"The rate of recovery of habitability in most regions will be determined by the effectiveness with which the health risks of the pandemic can be controlled, through a combination of vaccination, testing, tracking and quarantine measures," the report continues. .
"Barring major setbacks, such as the emergence of vaccine-resistant variants, scores in culture and environment should improve."
The most livable cities in the world in 2021
1. Auckland, New Zealand
2. Osaka, Japan
3. Adelaide, Australia
4. Wellington, New Zealand
4. Tokyo, Japan
6. Perth, Australia
7. Zurich, Switzerland
8. Geneva, Switzerland
8. Melbourne, Australia
10. Brisbane , Australia
The least livable cities in the world in 2021
1. Damascus, Syria
2. Lagos, Nigeria
3. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
4. Dhaka, Bangladesh
5. Algiers, Algeria
6. Tripoli, Libya
7. Karachi, Pakistan
8. Harare, Zimbabwe
9. Douala, Cameroon
10. Caracas Venezuela
Most livable cities in the worldNew Zealand