What makes capital cities the best places to live?

Ribeiro, Rui; McCaughey, Mary

doi:10.2806/70479

Overview

What makes capital cities the best places to live?

Published: 3 December 2024

Quality of life data show that in most countries, the capital city has advantages compared to the regions outside the capital. In light of the continued growth of capital city populations and the concentration of resources within them, this policy brief explores the source of the advantages of capital cities in quality of life. Are these advantages mostly related to specific demographics that these cities nurture and attract? Or do these advantages stem from opportunities that major cities provide due to their scale and economic growth?

The policy brief aims to clarify why policy should focus on both the economy and society when it comes to advancing economic, social and territorial cohesion.

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The executive summary for this publication is available in PDF format.

This section provides information on the data contained in this publication.

Tables

Table 1: Selected indicators of quality of life – Capital cities and rest of country compared, 2016

Figures

Figure 1: Life satisfaction scores: Capital cities compared to the rest of the country, 2016
Figure 2: Low resilience (%): Capital cities compared to the rest of the country, 2016
Figure 3: Factors behind likelihood of low resilience
Figure 4: Satisfaction with democracy: Capital cities compared to the rest of the country, 2016
Figure 5: Trust in national institutions and local authorities: Capital cities, other urban areas and rural areas compared, 2016
Figure 6: Factors affecting satisfaction with democracy
Figure 7: Factors affecting average rating of quality of public services
Figure 8: Average daily commuting time (minutes): Capital cities compared to the rest of the country, 2016
Figure 9: Housing insecurity (%): Capital cities compared to the rest of the country, 2016

Learn more about the authors of this publication.

Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.

Eurofound (2020), What makes capital cities the best places to live?, European Quality of Life Survey 2016 series, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.

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ISBN

978-92-897-2048-9

Number of pages

28

Reference no.

EF18025

ISBN

978-92-897-2048-9

Catalogue number

TJ-AR-20-001-EN-C

DOI

10.2806/70479

Permalink

http://eurofound.link/ef18025

This section provides access to content that is related to the publication.

Research report

30 March 2025

Psychosocial risks to workers' well-being: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

Psychosocial risks represent a major challenge to the health and well-being of workers in the EU. While the COVID-19 pandemic intensified some of these risks, it also increased awareness of them among policymakers. Using data from the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey 2021 and building on a theoretical model that differentiates between job stressors and job resources, this report examines key psychosocial risks in the workplace and their impact on health. It also assesses job characteristics that could help to protect workers’ health and well-being in post-pandemic workplaces. While the prevalence of psychosocial risks varies across the Member States, work–life interference and work intensity are the most widespread risks in the EU, and the prevalence of the latter increased during the pandemic. Job stressors such as adverse social behaviour and job insecurity continue to be experienced by a significant proportion of workers in the EU. Although resources are available to combat some risks, these may not be sufficient, and preventive policies need to be implemented to prevent risks from arising in the first place.