Canada voted most liveable country for European expats
Canada is the most attractive country outside of Europe for citizens of the EU to take residence, according to the latest report from global mobility experts, ECA International (ECA).
Toronto remains the top Canadian city, with higher liveability scores than the country's capital, Ottawa.
This is in spite of Toronto's challenging extreme weather conditions. Its government is concentrating on infrastructure investment as a means to cement its position as a world-class urban environment. Public transport is being modernised, green measures are being taken and the city's social infrastructure is being brought up to date.
Harry and Meghan follow in the footsteps of millions of European expats to Canadian cities, namely Toronto and Vancouver, which are relatively easy for European expatriates to adapt to"
The liveability survey of over 490 cities around the world looks at factors including availability of health services; housing and utilities; isolation; access to a social network and leisure facilities; infrastructure; climate; personal safety; political tensions and air quality.
"Canadian cities have always provided a high quality of life for European expats, with consistently high scores putting Canadian cities above many European counterparts.
"Harry and Meghan follow in the footsteps of millions of European expats to Canadian cities, namely Toronto and Vancouver, which are relatively easy for European expatriates to adapt to. Choosing Canada to bring up their new family means they will experience lower crime levels, good public facilities, and better air quality," Neil Ashman, senior location ratings analyst at ECA International, said.
UK nationals make up the third largest foreign-born group in Canada -after India and China - which has attracted a large foreign-born population of approx. 6,775,800 people with a total 20.6% of the population - the highest proportion among the G8 countries.
Several Canadian cities even outscore European hubs including London, Paris, Berlin and Rome despite the distance from home.
An additional important factor for mainland Europeans looking to relocate is that Canada is officially bilingual, with many Canadians speaking English as well as French, the third most widely spoken language in Europe.
Elsewhere, Copenhagen and Bern have scooped the joint top spot as the most liveable cities in the world for European expats.
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