Braga is among the ten European cities in which residents feel most satisfied living, but it is also the city in Europe where the most residents use a car daily, according to a report from the European Commission, dated January 2024. The city is also among the ten best cities in Europe for immigrants, elderly people and families with children.
The conclusions are contained in the 112-page report on Quality of Life in Europe, based on a survey carried out between January and April 2023, covering more than 71 thousand residents of 83 cities in the European Union, the United Kingdom, the Western part the Balkans and Turkey. Among the 83 cities targeted in the study, Braga is among the 10 in which residents feel most satisfied living there, and is also among the 10 best cities in Europe for immigrants, the elderly and families with children.
Mobility
Braga, however, leads the ranking of the 10 European cities in which inhabitants use their car most. The city has the highest percentage of the 83 cities that normally use vehicles. It is one of the main challenges that Braga faces today. It also reflects the growth of the city. Braga is also on the list of 10 European cities in which residents (27%) least use public transport daily. Worse than Braga, only Skopje (28%), Heraklion (30%) and Verona (30%).
The people from Braga refer to their city as the cidade de 10 minutos, the old city centre is very compact and you are some 10 minutes walk away from all the major buildings and events.
Housing
Braga is also not one of the ten cities in which residents consider it easy to find a home at a reasonable price. In this regard, the European Commission makes a comparison with data collected in 2019, concluding that the percentage of residents with a positive view of housing fell, on average, by four percentage points from 38% to 34%. In the four years, according to the report, Braga is the second city in Europe in which there was a biggest drop in terms of residents' vision and perception of finding housing at a reasonable price, being surpassed only by Budapest.
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Satisfied with living in the city
The top 10 is led by Zurich with 97% of residents satisfied, followed by Copenhagen, Groningen, Gdansk, Leipzig, Stockholm, Geneva, Rostock, Cluj-Napoca and Braga.
Braga (89%) is also among the 10 best cities in Europe for immigrants, coming in third place, in a ranking that is led by Cardiff (95%) (United Kingdom) followed by Lisbon (90%).
As for European cities that are good places for elderly people to live, Zurich leads again, with 95% of respondents choosing the Swiss city, with Braga closing the top 10. The ranking of the 10 best European cities for families with children is led by Cardiff (96%), followed by Oulu (Finland), Braga and Leipzig, all with 95% of residents' votes.
Safety
Braga is also included in the list of 10 European cities where residents feel safest walking at night (84%), led by Copenhagen (87%).