Hong Kong ranked 70th in world for quality of living - way behind rival Singapore

Hong Kong offers the best quality of living among cities in China, but falls behind main competitor Singapore and major Japanese centres, according to a survey.

Hong Kong ranked 70th - one place higher than last year - among 230 cities assessed in an annual quality of living survey by consulting firm Mercer.

The survey measures living conditions based on 10 categories, including political stability, economic environment, medical, education, transport and recreation provisions, housing and the natural environment.

Vienna tops the rankings, which are dominated by European cities. Zurich, Auckland and Munich complete the top four, while Vancouver is fifth - the highest-ranking city in North America.

Singapore, which fell one place to 26th globally, continues to be the top location in Asia-Pacific rankings. Also beating Hong Kong in the region are five cities in Japan: Tokyo (44), Kobe (47), Yokohama (48), Osaka (58) and Nagoya (61).

Connie Leung, a consultant at Mercer, said quality of living in Hong Kong remained at a relatively good standard compared to most other nearby cities in the region, but "the air pollution and road traffic in its major CBD areas continue to be a concern".