LONDON: They are probably the most fortunate people on the planet. Healthy, wealthy, and, thanks to an outstanding education system, wise. They enjoy a life that most can only dream of. For ease of reference we commonly refer to them as the Swiss.

According to a new survey of the quality of life enjoyed by people in 215 countries around the world, Switzerland is as close as it gets to heaven. Zurich is ranked as the city with the highest quality of life and Geneva is second. Bern, the capital, is sixth.

A related study of health and sanitation in major world cities names Calgary in Canada as the healthiest place to be. Baku in Azerbaijan the unhealthiest. Helsinki is the healthiest city in western Europe while Athens is the unhealthiest.

Unsurprisingly, researchers from Mercer Human Resource Consulting conclude that Baghdad, with its security problems and shattered infrastructure, has the lowest quality of life in the world. A spokesman for Mercer Consulting said cities in Europe, New Zealand and Australia continued to dominate the top of the rankings.

The analysis was based on an evaluation of 39 quality-of-life criteria for each city including political, social, economic and environmental factors, personal safety and health, education, transport and other public services.

Slagin Parakatil of Mercer said political and military upheaval had a profound effect on the tables. "The threat of terrorism in the Middle East and the political and economic turmoil in African countries has increased the disparity between cities at the top and the bottom end of the rankings.

"The top cities for health and sanitation have a combination of excellent hospital services and medical supplies and low levels of air pollution and infectious disease."

Athens fares particularly badly because of the high level of pollution in the city which has been identified as the cause of respiratory illnesses. Milan, Rome and Lisbon are also at the bottom end of the rankings. -Dawn/The Guardian News Service.