Gee, despite 35 years of a policy that ‘Greed is Good’, the USA didn’t make the cut.

Looking at 450 cities across the world, Mercer takes into account the following metrics to judge which cities made the list for the best quality of life:

Political and social environment (political stability, crime, law enforcement)

Economic environment (currency-exchange regulations, banking services)

Socio-cultural environment (media availability and censorship, limitations on personal freedom)

Medical and health considerations (medical supplies and services, infectious diseases, sewage, waste disposal, air pollution)

Schools and education (standards and availability of international schools)

Public services and transportation (electricity, water, public transportation, traffic congestion)

Recreation (restaurants, theatres, cinemas, sports and leisure)

Consumer goods (availability of food/daily consumption items, cars)

Housing (rental housing, household appliances, furniture, maintenance services)

Natural environment (climate, record of natural disasters)

Source: Mercer 2016 Quality of Living worldwide city rankings – Business Insider