Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
LIFE OUTSIDE PARIS

QUALITY OF LIFE

France’s ‘best and worst’ places to live and work

The areas in France offering the best quality of life were revealed in a study published on Thursday.

Published: 16 July 2015 17:23 CEST
France's 'best and worst' places to live and work
Beautiful Annecy in south eastern France, ranked one of the best places to live and work in France. Photo: Emad Drwish
Do you want to enjoy a great life expectancy, the country's lowest poverty percentage, and one of the most promising population growth rates in France? Then move to Genevois Francais on the Swiss border, the area with the best life quality in France – at least that's according to a new study published by Les Echos newspaper.
 
The study divided France into 304 employment zones (zones d'emploi), areas that can be cities or districts where people both live and work.
 
These zones were then ranked by population growth, life expectancy, household income, poverty rate, unemployment rate, percentage of single-parent families, percentage of people with a higher education, and those who have a licence to take part in competitive sport.
 
Based on these factors, it found that six of the top ten zones were close to the Swiss border, topped off by Genevois Francais, with Annecy in second, and nearby Ambérieu-en-Bugey in third. Fifth-placed Bourg-en-Bresse, sixth-placed Chambéry, and eighth-placed Bourgoin-Jallieu are all in the same cluster in eastern France (see top ten below).
 
1. Genevois Francais
2. Annecy
3. Ambérieu-en-Bugey
4. Nantes
5. Bourg-en-Bresse
6. Chambéry
7. Houdan
8. Bourgoin-Jallieu
9. Rambouillet
10. Rennes
 
First placed Genevois Francais, an area that borders the Swiss city of Geneva, ranked second overall in life expectancy with an average of 85 for the women and 79.1 for the men. It had the lowest poverty rate in the country at 9.6 percent, and ranked high in average income and second overall in population growth at 2.4 percent. 
 

(A map of Genevois Francais. Photo: Liam D/WikiCommons)
 
The area, an international hub, sees 40 percent of its residents working in Switzerland, and boasts a mostly young and international population.
 
The map below shows the concentration of the top 44 areas in dark green, many of which of near the Swiss border but also in the north west and near the Paris region. Click here to see the interactive version of the map courtesy of Les Echos. 
 

The study, which was based on a similar report from the New York Times in 2014, found that the bottom ten areas were almost exclusively in the far north of the country, and are coloured bright orange in the map above. Here are all ten, starting with Lens-Hénin in absolute last place.

304. Lens – Hénin
303. Thiérache
302. Maubeuge
301. Tergnier
300. Valenciennes
299. Boulogne-sur-mer
298. Saint-Quentin
297. Cambrai
296. Péronne
295. Dunkerque
 
Geographer Hervé Le Bras, who has recently penned a book on the subject of inequality in France, noted that the areas that fared best had something in common.

“The zones that performed a bit better in France are the regions that don't have a strong state intervention, but actually the areas that were once religious and where Catholicism strongly resisted against the state,” he told Les Echoes.

“There, you can find more solidarity and more associative practices.”
 
He noted that many of the areas that performed poorly, such as the north east of the country, have historically been more rooted in the Republican regime. 
 
“These are the areas that defend Republican principles of equality and secularism, and expect a lot from the state – probably even now,” he told the paper.
 
 
So where's the best place in France to be happy?

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

QUALITY OF LIFE

‘Pleasantly constant’: Why Switzerland ranks as the ‘world’s best country’ — again

For the sixth time, Switzerland wins the coveted title of the world’s top country in an international ranking. Why does the nation make it to the no.1 spot —time after time?

Published: 6 September 2023 11:31 CEST
'Pleasantly constant': Why Switzerland ranks as the 'world’s best country' — again

It’s official: Switzerland has been ranked ahead of 87 other countries analysed by the US News & World Report for its 2023 ranking, which was released on Wednesday morning. 

It is the sixth time that Switzerland tops the rankings, which measure a country’s global performance based on 73 categories. They include entrepreneurship; quality of life; adaptability and progress; social purpose; and other attributes listed here. 

What exactly makes Switzerland the best in the world?

The country “snags the top spot for business-friendliness and education, “and ranks in the top 10 for quality of life, social purpose and cultural influence,” according to study authors. “Among attributes, it was considered No.1 for being economically stable, safe and least corrupt.”

“And while people may not see it as the sexiest place, they would like to live there.”

One of Switzerland’s top qualities, the study showed, is ‘consistency.’

Unlike the political and economic volatility of many other countries, “there is something pleasantly constant about Switzerland,” the survey found.

It is true that change of any kind is slow to come here.

Part of the reason for this sluggishness is cultural: the Swiss don’t like spontaneity (unless it’s planned) or doing anything on a whim. 

They believe that rushing things and making hasty decisions will have disastrous results, which is why they prefer to take a cautious — even if painstakingly slow — path.

As a general rule, the Swiss have a penchant not only for planning, but for pre-planning as well. They like to thoroughly examine each aspect of a proposed change and look at it from all possible angles.

Another reason (besides the cultural one mentioned above) contributes to Switzerland’s notorious slowness in decision-making — the country’s political system.

Due to Switzerland’s decentralised form of government, the Federal Council must consult with cantons before a decision can be made at the national level.

That, as you can imagine, could take a while as each of the 26 cantons may drag their individual feet, and there could be no consensus among them.

READ ALSO : Why are things so slow to change in Switzerland? 

While some may see this ‘consistency’ as a negative, the US News & World Report considers it to be a definite plus.

How did Switzerland rank in major categories?

‘Open for business’

In this category, the country is in the first place (100 points out of 100).

Simply, this means  the country  is ‘business friendly’ because the government has created a good environment for businesses to thrive. 

“Switzerland has low unemployment, a skilled labour force and one of the highest gross domestic products per capita in the world,” the report relates. 

‘Educated population’

Here, too, Switzerland excels (100 points, first place).

Switzerland not only has an excellent and accessible education system, but according to Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), well over 80 percent of the country’s population have an upper secondary education or above.

This proportion is higher than the OECD average of 75 percent.

READ ALSO: How can foreigners get into a Swiss university?

‘Quality of life’

Here, Switzerland also got a high score ( 96.7), which places it in the fourth place.

This particular category, which includes essentials such as broad access to food, housing, quality education, healthcare, and employment, also comprises “intangibles such as job security, political stability, individual freedom and environmental quality.”

This is not exactly a surprise, as Switzerland often ranks highly in this category in other international surveys as well. 

In which categories does Switzerland rate poorly?

‘Power’

Switzerland’s score here is 26, which lands it in the 20th place.

But this is actually good news, if you consider criteria for this category:

“The world’s most powerful countries also are the ones that consistently dominate news headlines, preoccupy policymakers and shape global economic patterns. Their foreign policies and military budgets are tracked religiously.”

Needless to say, Switzerland has no interest in wielding global power.

Besides (unintentionally) invading neighbouring Liechtenstein on three occasions, Switzerland is not at all power-hungry.

This is not only because it is neutral, but also because its politics is based on peaceful coexistence.

(The number 1 spot in this category was snagged, not surprisingly, by the United States).

‘Movers’

This too is not a major surprise, since the sub-category here is ‘dynamic’, for which Switzerland was given a low score of 29.1.

The country did a bit better in the ‘distinctive’ and ‘unique’ sub-category, with scores of 43.5 and 42.1, respectively.

Overall, Switzerland is in the 26th place.

You can see details of each category here.

What is the Swiss reaction to the report?

Overwhelmingly positive, of course.

“What people love about us is our reliability and our predictability,” said Jacques Pitteloud, the Swiss ambassador to the U.S.

“With us, you know what you get, which is rare nowadays,” Alexandre Edelmann, head of Presence Switzerland, a government agency that promotes the country abroad, pointed out.

SHOW COMMENTS