Daily Times

Helsinki has been named the No1 city in the world for families in 2020, according to a new study. The Finnish capital was handed the accolade after researchers analysed 150 cities and 16 factors including paid parental leave, high-quality education, healthcare, employment rates and general affordability. And parents living in each location were polled on what they think about where they live.

Quebec in Canada comes second in the ranking, Oslo third and London a lowly 55th, while Los Angeles ranks top for kids’ activities.

The rest of the overall top 10 comprises Munich (4th), Copenhagen (5th), Stockholm (6th), Reykjavik (7th), Calgary (8th), Montreal (9th) and Gothenburg in Sweden (10th).

The rest of the top 10 kids’ activities ranking comprises New York (2nd), San Francisco (3rd), London (4th), Istanbul (5th), Prague (6th), Moscow (7th), San Diego (8th), Athens (9th) and Chicago (10th).

The study, by relocation firm Movinga, also ranks cities for the number of days’ parental leave they offer.

Helsinki sits at the top of this table, too, with 1,190 days. It’s followed by Tallinn in Estonia (2nd, 1,176), Bratislava in the Slovak Republic (3rd, 1,148), Budapest in Hungary (4th, 1,127), Bucharest in Romania (5th, 887), Sofia in Bulgaria (6th, 790), Tokyo (7th, 770), Osaka (8th, 770), Prague (9th, 770) and Oslo (10th, 707).

London ranks 61 out of 150 in this list, with all U.S cities joint bottom – because they offer zero days of paid parental leave.

The rest of the overall top 10 comprises Munich, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Reykjavik, Calgary, Montreal and Gothenburg in Sweden

In the education ranking, it’s Singapore that takes the top spot on the podium, followed by Calgary (2nd), Vancouver (3rd), Quebec (4th), Montreal (5th), Tokyo (6th), Osaka (7th), Tallinn (8th), Toronto (9th) and Ottawa (10th).

London ranks 24th in this table.

Other findings include Essen in Germany having the most affordable housing, with Kuwait the least; Munich having the highest living cost, with Istanbul the lowest; Naples having the highest unemployment rate, with Doha in Qatar the lowest; Honolulu having the best air quality and Doha the worst, and Oslo the best healthcare and Buenos Aires the worst.

Marta Blanco Amez, VP of Marketing at Movinga, said: ‘In this globally-connected world, many people find themselves moving for study or work opportunities.

‘However, for those who already have or are thinking of starting a family, there are myriad factors to consider. From basic needs like finding the right doctors and schools, to more specific ones like childcare affordability and kids’ activities, moving a family requires a much greater deal of preparation.

‘Whether for a short-term change or seeking a more permanent situation, we hope that this index can be used as a benchmark for families looking to make their next move.’