Melbourne has been voted the friendliest city in the world

Virgin Radio

30 Nov 2022, 14:22

Melbourne has been ranked the friendliest city in the world.

A list curated by UK insurance company William Russell has been released to show different cities across the globe and how they rank in comparison to each other.

Known for its incredible coffee and colourful streets, the city now has the new reputation of being home to the friendliest people.

The study took 23 of the most visited cities in the world and ranked them on their own ‘Friendly City Score’.

This took into consideration things like overall resident happiness, safety, LGBTQ+ inclusivity, top attractions and highest-rated hotels.

A statement on the study reads: “We looked at data from city residents’ quality of life in Melbourne, and the city scored an impressive 7.296 out of 10.

"Melbourne’s top attraction, according to Yelp, is the Queen Victoria Market, with 237 reviews. Out of these reviews, 0.42 per cent agreed that the market was friendly and welcoming.”

It added: “Melbourne is a forward-thinking, rapidly growing city, and it is recognised for being a fully open, inclusive and competitive city, as well as a welcoming place for the LGBTQ+ community, who are often among the most marginalised communities around the world.”

In second place, just behind Melbourne was Paris, with a rating of 5.99 because of its fashion and culture that apparently puts people in a good mood.

Vienna took third place with a rating of 5.91 and the study noted it has long been regarded as one of the safest places in the world with a reputation for being “inclusive”.

Also making the list was Madrid, Brussels, Barcelona, London, Copenhagen, Taipei and New York City.

The study also looked at some of the most unfriendly cities in the world and topping that list was Istanbul, mainly because it was not very LGBTQ+ inclusive. In the second and third spots behind that were Argentine and Portugal for similar reasons.