Auckland kept its ranking from 2016, but Wellington has dropped from 12th place.

European cities make up eight of the top 10 cities.

Quality of life:

1 Vienna, Austria

2 Zurich, Switzerland

3 Auckland, New Zealand

4 Munich, Germany

5 Vancouver, Canada

6 Dusseldorf, Germany

7 Frankfurt, Germany

8 Geneva, Switzerland

9 Copenhagen, Denmark

10= Basel, Switzerland / Sydney, Australia

15 Wellington, New Zealand

16= Melbourne, Australia / Toronto, Canada

The worldwide rankings are based on living conditions which take into account 10 categories including the political and social environment, schools and education, public services and transportation, recreation and the economy.



It looks at 450 cities across the world.

The majority of the data was analysed between September and November 2016.

The HR company says it produces the annual report, the latest is the 19th, to give businesses wanting to expand operations to get an idea of where to send expatriates on assignment.

"For multinationals and governments it is vital to have quality of living information that is accurate, detailed, and reliable.

"It not only enables these employers to compensate employees appropriately, but it also provides a planning benchmark and insights into the often-sensitive operational environment that surrounds their workforce," says Ilya Bonic, senior partner and president of Mercer's Career business.

Newshub.