The Austrian representation of tourism has announced that according to ratings of the consulting firm Mercer Vienna took first place as the city with the highest standards of living throughout the world.

215 largest cities in the world were compared in the study of Mercer.

The research states that Vienna offers an excellent quality of life for its residents and guests because of its prosperous economy, stable political system, attractive landscapes and cultural diversity.

Vienna receives higher assessment also for safety, convenient public transportation, clean environment, and numerous parks and gardens.

The website of Mercer states Vienna received a rating of 108.6 points in 2008, while Baghdad received just 14.4 points.

New York City is at the basis of the rating with 100 points. This city was viewed as a priority. Thus, Zurich, Geneva (Switzerland), Vancouver (Canada), Okled (New Zealand) are included in the top 5 cities in the world with the highest standards of living.

In 2008, the quality of life in many regions, was liable to change due to political unrest, economic crisis, climate turmoil.

The particular importance in the rating is given to infrastructure of the city, which greatly determines the quality of life in the city. Thus, Singapore (Singapore), Munich (Germany), Copenhagen (Denmark), Tsukuba, Yokohama (Japan) are included in the list of top 5 cities with the best infrastructure.