Vancouver has long been recognized for its stunning natural beauty and environmental sustainability, but a new ranking puts the city in the top 10 in the world for healthy living.

The study, Healthy Lifestyle Cities Report 2021, recently released by Lenstore ranks Vancouver as 10th in the world for healthy living. The report ranked 44 cities, and Vancouver was the only city in North America to crack the top 10. Toronto came in at 15, followed by Los Angeles at 25.

Lenstore collected data from 10 different metrics, including the annual number of sunshine hours, pollution, the annual average hours worked and the cost of a bottle of water. Each metric was awarded a weighted score; the scores were then combined to give each city a score out of 100.

“Vancouver is famous for offering every kind of outdoor sport and adventure, pioneering health and fitness,” the report states. “With an average life expectancy of 81.7 years, a relatively low pollution score (24/100) and happy residents (7/10), Vancouver rounds off our top 10 locations for living a healthy lifestyle.”

Vancouver gets about 1,938 hours of sunshine a year, has an obesity level of 29.4%, and 1,670 annual average hours worked.

Europe is home to seven of the top 10 healthiest cities in the world. The Dutch capital of Amsterdam topped the list.

“With over 400 outdoor activities to keep you fit and healthy, and ranking as the fifth happiest country in the world, as well as the sixth-best country in Europe for obesity levels… living in this picturesque city is the top destination for leading a healthy lifestyle,” the report stated about the Dutch capital.

 

Top 10 Best Cities for Healthy Living

1. Amsterdam
2. Sydney
3. Vienna
4. Stockholm
5. Copenhagen
6. Helsinki
7. Fukuoka
8. Berlin
9. Barcelona
10. Vancouver

Click here to read the full 2021 Healthy Lifestyle Cities Report.

 

Published on Feb. 8, 2021.