- Cairo, Egypt, holds third place after Athens and Manilla, Philippines.
- India stands out, with three cities being included in the world’s top 10 most stressed cities.
- Los Angeles, US, holds the ninth place with the highest obesity rate on the list.
Experts conducted a study to identify the most stressful cities to live in 2024. The study measured several parameters including the quality of life, safety, and pollution index as main criteria, also considering the presence of stress-related habits such as smoking rates, obesity, and alcohol consumption. The final score was made, considering all of the mentioned criteria.
The most stressed city in the world is Athens, Greece, with the highest stress levels, which include a low safety index and a high rate of stress-related habits such as smoking, over-eating, and alcohol consumption. Compared to other cities on the list, Athens has the highest smoking rate, with 31.3 per cent of people engaging in this habit.
Manila, Philippines, takes second place in the ranking of the most stressed cities globally, with a stress score of 95.15. Manila has the lowest quality of life score and one of the highest pollution indexes in the ranking, with 89.44.
| City | Quality of Life | Safety Index | Pollution Index | Smoking Rate | Obesity | Alcohol consumption l/year | Stress Score |
| Athens, Greece | 117.40 | 43.93 | 56.88 | 31.3% | 30.06% | 10.5 | 96.28 |
| Manila, Philippines | 53.90 | 35.44 | 89.44 | 20.4% | 7.34% | 7.02 | 95.19 |
| Cairo, Egypt | 72.15 | 49.46 | 90.81 | 24.7% | 32.48% | 0.14 | 91.49 |
| São Paulo, Brazil | 76.24 | 29.70 | 79.08 | 13.2% | 25.05% | 7.32 | 91.26 |
| Budapest, Hungary | 128.71 | 65.66 | 54.06 | 31% | 36.43% | 11.07 | 90.02 |
| Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 66.99 | 22.64 | 67.41 | 12.2% | 25.05% | 7.32 | 89.85 |
| Mumbai, India | 77.53 | 55.24 | 83.34 | 27.0% | 5.38% | 5.61 | 87.68 |
| Delhi, India | 104.93 | 40.72 | 90.7 | 24.3% | 5.38% | 5.61 | 86.66 |
| Los Angeles, USA | 144.53 | 46.98 | 67.22 | 13.4% | 46.64% | 9.97 | 84.99 |
| Bangalore, India | 132.08 | 46.6 | 81.87 | 28.6% | 5.38% | 6.61 | 84.49 |
Read also: Kenya’s distressed debt levels a threat to development – experts
Most stressful cities to live in 2024
São Paulo, Brazil, is fourth, earning a stress score of 91.26. São Paulo has the second lowest safety index out of all the cities in the ranking, falling behind only Rio de Janeiro, another Brazilian city. Compared to other cities, Sao Paulo has fewer smokers, with only 13.2 per cent engaging in this habit.
Budapest, Hungary, takes fifth place in the ranking of the most stressed cities with a stress score of 90.02. Smoking and obesity rates in Budapest are comparable with Athens, but Budapest has the highest alcohol consumption rate, with over 11 liters per person yearly.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, follows closely with sixth place and a stress score of 89.85. The city has the lowest safety index of 22.64 out of all the cities in the ranking, almost three times less than safety levels in Budapest. Like São Paulo, the city doesn’t have many smokers, and pollution levels are average.
Mumbai, India, takes seventh place, gaining a stress score of 87.68. It has a low quality of life score and high pollution. The safety rates are higher than in other cities in the ranking, being second only to Budapest.
Los Angeles, United States, earns ninth place with a stress score of 84.99. While Los Angeles has the highest quality of life index of 144.53, the city suffers from a lack of safety and pollution. Los Angeles also has the highest obesity rates in the ranking, and over 46 per cent of the city population currently are diagnosed with it.
Bangalore, India, closes the ranking with the tenth place and a stress score of 84.49. Another city with a high quality of life index, Bangalore, suffers from low safety and pollution problems. In addition, Bangalore also has the highest smoking rates on the list, with 28.6 per cent of the population being smokers.
Read Also: Most Valuable Cities in Africa
