Which regions are ranked the best to live in Czechia?

Prague is now the best place to live in Czechia, according to the 12th annual Místo pro život (Place for Life) survey, taking the mantel from Zlín, which won in the previous ranking.

South Bohemia, which had been fifth, moved up to second, and the Karlovy Vary region, previously 12th, jumped into third. The worst of the country’s 14 regions is Moravia-Silesia, which had been 10th.

The survey looks at ecology and the environment, childcare and education, infrastructure development, health and social services, labor, security, civil society and tolerance, leisure activities and tourism, as well as the satisfaction of the local population.

"The winner is the capital city of Prague, which has the highest average wages, the lowest unemployment, the highest number of universities, but also the highest number of doctors and dentists, as well as the highest average life expectancy for men," David Pavlát of public relations firm Communa, which organizes the survey, said.

Prague also had the most police per capita, most hospital beds per capita, and highest share of treated wastewater. There were also some minuses. The city scored poorly for its gender pay gap, high apartment prices, high accident rate, crowded primary school classes, and high rate of children not admitted to kindergarten.

It also has the least amount of green space and natural habitats and the highest road concentration. Unlike the other Czech regions, which are a mix of towns and open spaces, Prague is just one city. Compared to other cities, Prague has a relatively high amount of parks and urban forests.

South Bohemia took second due to a low accident rate, the amount of recycled waste per capita, number of libraries, and the share of completed dwellings. The region also ranked first in a population satisfaction survey. It was not ranked as worst in any category, but its negatives included only an average number of doctors and dentists, average life expectancy, and high amount of municipal waste.

Third-placed Karlovy Vary region had the highest share of natural habitat area, the lowest production of municipal waste, the lowest difference in salaries for men and women, and the lowest share of children not admitted to kindergartens, and most pharmacies per capita. It was second in the satisfaction survey. The region, however, has the lowest life expectancy for women, lowest average wages, and the fewest charging stations for electric cars.

Last year’s winner, the Zlín region, finished in fourth place. It has a high ratio of people attending a university, a high proportion of protected areas, and a low proportion of unemployed women, among other things.

The Moravia-Silesia region, despite being in last place did have a few positive points. It has low apartment prices, a low number of vehicles per capita, a very high proportion of university students per capita, and a very high investment in environmental protection.

But these are outweighed by the negative points: the highest amount of harmful emissions in the air, the lowest amount of recycled waste, the highest share of unemployed, very high average morbidity, a low number of service stations, and a low number of libraries.

The Olomouc region was 13th. It had low economic activity, poor high-speed internet coverage, a high amount of municipal waste, and a low proportion of completed dwellings. The Hradec Králové region was third from last with average wages, an average ratio of university students, and an average number of police and dentists.

According to the organizers, the aim of the survey is to motivate the state and local governments as well as non-profit organizations, entrepreneurs, and local people to improve conditions and the environment. The research, carried out by the analytical agency Datank, was based on data from public institutions and a satisfaction survey with 3,500 respondents. 

Source: Místo pro život