Headquartered in New York, Mercer is the world’s foremost human resources consulting firm, conducting annual surveys to enable multinational companies and other organisations compensate employees fairly when placing them on international assignments.
In addition to valuable data on relative quality of living, Mercer’s 21st survey provides assessment for more than 450 cities throughout the world.
This latest ranking includes 231 of these cities.
“Gambia’s progress towards a democratic political system, alongside improved international relations and human rights meant that Banjul (179) not only had the most improved quality of living in Africa, but also in the world, rising six places this year” a report on the survey released on Wednesday said.
The report added: “This year, Mercer provides a separate ranking on personal safety, which analyses cities’ internal stability, crime levels; law enforcement; limitations on personal freedom; relationships with other countries and freedom of the press. Personal safety is the cornerstone of stability in any city, without which both business and talent cannot thrive. This year, Western Europe dominates the rankings, with Luxembourg named as the safest city in the world, followed by Helsinki and the Swiss cities of Basel, Bern and Zurich in joint second” the report said.
According to Mercer’s 2019 personal safety ranking, Damascus ranked bottom in 231st place and Bangui in the Central African Republic scored second lowest in 230th place.
Port Louis in the island nation of Mauritius has been named as Africa’s best city in the overall quality of living according to the same survey.