Adelaide is officially one of the world’s great cities according to The Economist’s 2021 rankings.
The SA capital came in third on the list and was beaten to best spot for “liveability” only by near neighbour Auckland and in second place, Osaka.
Adelaide easily beat all Australian rivals because of its strong COVID-19 response and healthcare system. Melbourne dropped from second to equal eighth mainly because of a series of COVID-19 outbreaks, Perth came in sixth, Brisbane tenth and Sydney rolled in at eleventh on the list.
The Economist compared 140 cities according to stability, healthcare, education, culture and environment, and infrastructure.
A major factor for the latest rankings was COVID-19 safety responses.
“In third place is Adelaide in Australia, which also imposed a ban on international travel,” The Economist wrote.
“Every South Australian can feel proud because Adelaide’s been ranked the most liveable city in Australia, and the third most liveable city in the world,” said SA Premier Steven Marshall adding that the state is gaining a global reputation as one of the safest and most attractive places to live, work and raise a family.
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“By working together, we’ve kept Adelaide vibrant and alive during the global pandemic,” Premier Marshall added while labor federal MP, Steve Georganas said he was proud to live and work in Adelaide.
The SA capital scored lower only for “culture and environment”; 83.8 out of 100, but highly for stability (95), healthcare (100), education (100), and infrastructure (100).
“If we compare Adelaide to the rest of the world at the moment, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it is no exaggeration to claim that we are blessed to be able to live safely in absolute bliss unlike the rest of the world,” Adelaide-based teacher Marianthi Kosmarikou told Neos Kosmos.
The Economist’s list was postponed in 2020 but in 2019 Adelaide was ranked tenth behind Melbourne, second and Sydney, third.