A new league table shows Mumbai in India is the most stressful major city to live in, and Hong Kong is not much better. At the opposite end of the scale, Reykjavik in Iceland is the worlds lowest-stress city.
The compilers of the table of 100 cities say Hong Kongs current political turmoil could make its ranking 74th in 2021 even worse in years to come, adding that the unrest might act as an anxiety accelerator for residents.
The Least and Most Stressful Cities Index 2021 league table should perhaps be taken with a pinch of salt having been collated by Yaay, a Berlin-based purveyor of CBD (cannabidiol) oil products and hemp supplements, to promote inner balance and mindfulness but its data about the causes of stress for urban dwellers provide food for thought.
The cities rankings are based on their scores for 16 factors including governance, social and financial pressures, pollution and the impact of Covid-19 measures.
Scandinavian cities rank at or near the top for many of the 16 factors Reykjavik has the least air and noise pollution, and the most gender equality, safety and security.
Most of the cities ranked lowest for stress are in the West. No Asian city ranks in the top 25 and seven including Jakarta (Indonesia) and Manila (the Philippines) are ranked among the 10 most stressful.
However, there are some bright spots for Asian cities. Singapore, where CBD oil products are illegal (and are perhaps not needed), tops the charts for mental health a category in which Asian cities do well, with Jakarta, Tokyo (Japan), Seoul (South Korea), Hanoi (Vietnam), and Manila all in the top 10.
Singapore, which ranks 33rd overall, is rated the third best for safety and security, while Bangkok (Thailand) has the second best employment rate and Tokyo comes third for access to health care. Only eight cities in the world have less light pollution than Hanoi, a category in which Doha (Qatar) scores worst.
The aim is not to single out the cities which may lag behind in any of these areas, but rather highlight those which are leading examples of what can be done to improve the well-being of their inhabitants, says Finn Age Hänsel, co-founder of Vaay.
We hope that the results of the study serve as a useful barometer for cities and citizens alike to reassess their environments and work together towards developing cities that are less stressful places to live.
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And what of Hong Kong? It is rated the eighth worst for financial stress Hanoi is the worst in Asia on this measure and Bern in Switzerland the worst in the world.
Hong Kong also ranks as the third worst city for social security which measures factors such as share of population above retirement age and receiving a pension and income and wealth inequalities, as measured using the Gini coefficient behind only New Delhi and Mumbai.
Given that the study is designed to show what cities can achieve for their citizens through effective governance, among other factors, Hong Kongs fairly respectable sociopolitical stability score of 70.4 (0.5 less than Madrid, Spain, and 0.2 more than Abu Dhabi) seems odd given the current political turmoil.
Cumulative data has Hong Kong in the middle of the table, but its citizens have had a very challenging past year, says Hänsel, highlighting a clear reduction of their rights to participate in selecting their government as well as drops in freedom of expression and association and in media freedom.
As new data comes out we expect Hong Kong to rank lower in future iterations of the study, he adds. This will become an anxiety accelerator for its population that is used to the freedom afforded to them in the past.
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Wellington and Auckland in New Zealand have the best sociopolitical stability scores, while Kabul (Afghanistan) has the worst.
The study also takes into account how Covid-19 has affected urban dwellers. It would be remiss to release this study now, during a prolonged period of heightened stress for many people, and not factor in the coronavirus pandemic, says Hänsel.
The study assessed each governments response to the pandemic and how measures they have taken affected the stress levels of residents.
The city that emerges as the least stressed by Covid-19 restrictions is, surprisingly, Tokyo, where pressure is mounting on authorities to cancel the delayed 2020 Olympic Games.
Although the Japanese population is worried about the potential damage the Olympic Games can have on the spread of Covid, Japan managed to keep its economy and population relatively safe during the past six months, explains Hänsel. Financial support was fast and efficient, which means Japan will be set for a faster recovery … and as for the effect the Olympics will have, it is possible it may have a positive effect like Euro 2020 is having in Europe right now.
Hong Kong places seventh best in the ranking for Covid-19 response stress impact, with residents of, in descending order, Lima (Peru), Boston (United States), Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Prague (Czech Republic) considered to have suffered the most at the hands of their coronavirus-fighting authorities.
We hope that the results of the study serve as a useful barometer for cities and citizens alike to reassess their environments and work together towards developing cities that are less stressful places to live, says Hänsel.
This article was first published in South China Morning Post.
