Shenzhen is China’s most liveable city, survey says
At least if you don’t have to worry about buying a home there
Those living in Shenzhen will be happy to know that they apparently live in the most liveable city in China, a fact which might surprise them considering the sky high price of real estate there.
In a recent study conducted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences that measured 287 major cities around China and compared their performances across five broad categories (economic development, social management, quality of life, innovation, and ecological environment), the southern, coastal metropolis of Shenzhen came out on top, followed by Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Xiamen.
Shenzhen managed its top ranking despite only coming in 83rd in terms of quality of life — a category that factors in things like the affordability of homes and the quality of schools which would seem important when judging a place’s liveability.
However, Shenzhen made up for this shortcoming by ranking 1st in economic development and social management, 3rd in innovation, and a respectable 5th in ecological environment.
Compare that to Shanghai, which came in 3rd in economic development, 2nd in social management, 81st in quality of life, 2nd in innovation, but 80th in ecological environment.
Meanwhile, Beijing fared even worse, ranking 156th in quality of life and 137th in ecological environment, but still somehow managed to finish 3rd overall.
Here’s the top 10:
- Shenzhen
- Shanghai
- Beijing
- Guangzhou
- Xiamen
- Hangzhou
- Nanjing
- Wuhan
- Xi’an
- Suzhou
Back in June 2016, the Chinese Academy of Sciences released its own liveability survey which was apparently more concerned with things like breathing and finding an affordable home.
Out of the 40 different major Chinese cities that were studied, Beijing ranked last, while Qingdao came in first, followed by Kunming, Sanya, Dalian, and Weihai, third-tier cities known for their clearer-than-normal skies.
