Most relaxed and most stressful cities in the world
The atmosphere of a city is often conveyed to visitors and tourists. In a way, it can also affect the atmosphere of the whole trip. Some things need to be known in advance about the chosen destination because they can have a key impact on the overall experience. A study analyzed stress indicators for hundreds of cities around the world. Therefore, a ranking list of the most stressful and most relaxed cities in the world was created.
Factors that contribute to stress
At the beginning of the study, it was examined which macro factors contribute the most to the stress of both locals and visitors. Among other things, these include security, gender, and minority equality, social and political stability, pollution, health care, and income.
These factors were then grouped into four categories. After that, stress indicators for 500 cities in the world were analyzed. Those cities for which reliable data were not available were removed from the list, resulting in a total sample of 100 cities.
With this in mind, the cities shown are not necessarily the most relaxed or stressful, but these cities have taken certain ranks due to the possibility of global comparability .
The most relaxed cities - European cities at the top of the list
Reykjavik performed extremely well in the study. In terms of gender equality, air pollution, and noise, the capital of Iceland scored all 100 out of a possible 100 points. Here, the absence of pollution is mainly a consequence of lower population density compared to other cities. However, this city has also achieved extremely good results in terms of security, political and social stability, as well as access to health care. It is also the only city on the list that has achieved a maximum of 100 points in total.
View this post on Instagram
When it comes to the most relaxed cities, Bern (Switzerland) and Helsinki (Finland) are in second and third place in the world. They are followed by Wellington (New Zealand) and Melbourne (Australia), which have performed particularly well in terms of air pollution and access to health care.
View this post on Instagram
The other half of the ranking includes Oslo, Copenhagen, Innsbruck, Hanover, and Graz, showing a clear trend of the relaxed nature of European cities, especially in the north and west of the continent.
Top Ten Most Relaxed Cities in the World (with a total number of points):
- Reykjavik, Iceland (100)
- Bern, Switzerland (96.6)
- Helsinki, Finland (95)
- Wellington, New Zealand (95)
- Melbourne, Australia (94.2)
- Oslo, Norway (93.9)
- Copenhagen, Denmark (92.6)
- Innsbruck, Austria (92.2)
- Hannover, Germany (92)
- Graz, Austria (90)
Mumbai is the first among the most stressful cities
At the opposite end of the ranking is the Indian city of Mumbai, which achieved an extremely low overall score (1.0). This can be partly attributed to time, but, above all, to poor social protection.
View this post on Instagram
The Indian city is followed by the Nigerian Lagos, which is in that place mostly due to pollution and noise, while the biggest problem in Manila (in the third place) is the density of traffic, that is heavy traffic jams. These three cities are followed by New Delhi, Baghdad, and Kabul.
View this post on Instagram
The first European city to be on the undesirable list is Moscow, in 7th place, with the biggest problems in traffic and the unemployment rate. Karachi, Jakarta, and Kyiv follow, which completes the list of the 10 most stressful cities in the world.
The most stressful cities in the world:
- Mumbai, India (1.0)
- Lagos, Nigeria (19.9)
- Manila, Philippines (29.4)
- New Delhi, India (31.5)
- Baghdad, Iraq (31.7)
- Kabul, Afghanistan 34.3)
- Moscow, Russia (36.1)
- Karachi, Pakistan (36.6)
- Jakarta, Indonesia (41.8)
- Kiev, Ukraine (42.8)
You may consider checking the ranking of the city you are planning to visit before you make an arrangement and pack your bags. Here is the full list.
Read more: 5 alternative Spanish cities for a peaceful holiday.
By: Sarah R.
