These are officially the world’s best cities to raise a family, according to a new report

There are loads of things to consider when choosing where to raise a family. Obviously, you’ll want to live somewhere safe; then there are practical factors, such as parental leave allowance and affordability. And as nice as it is to grow up in the countryside, living in a city ensures there’s plenty to do to enable a fun upbringing. But which cities offer the very best of everything for young families?

Handily, Compare the Market AU has produced a brand-new report answering that exact question. Nine different factors were assessed and weighted to award 50 cities with an overall index score. These included a safety score; the World Happiness score; the number of things to do with kids; the monthly cost of living; national family benefits spending; national statutory parental leave; national child vaccination rates; national education spending; and green spaces per capita. Pretty comprehensive, right? 

According to the company’s research, the world’s best place to raise a family is Brisbane. Scoring 6.457 on the index overall, the capital of Queensland in Australia topped the rankings, faring particularly well for safety, national child vaccination rates, and the number of green spaces per capita – which is apparently an impressive 84.89. 

Recommended: The 17 best things to do in Brisbane with kids, according to Time Out. 

Aussie cities did pretty well generally, though, with Sydney, Perth, and Melbourne claiming spots five, six, and seven, and two New Zealand cities, Auckland and Wellington, also claimed spots in the top 20. 

As for Europe, London ranked highest thanks to its bounty of family-friendly activities, and Helsinki came in fourth, ranking second-highest overall for national education spending (beaten only by Stockholm). Scroll on for a look at the entire top 20 ranking.

These are the 20 best cities to raise a family

1. Brisbane
2. London
3. Auckland
4. Helsinki
5. Sydney
6. Perth
7. Melbourne
8. Stockholm
9. Berlin
10. Seoul
11. Paris
12. New Delhi
13. Prague
14. Copenhagen
15. Barcelona
16. Lisbon
17. Wellington
18. Rome
19. Vienna
20. Madrid

You can check out the full top 50 on the official Compare the Market AU website. 

Did you see that Europe has a brand-new hiking trail – with gold-sand beaches, charming towns and prehistoric ruins?

Plus: Japan is set to ban the use of power banks on planes – here’s why. 

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