The quality of life in Birmingham is better than major global cities such as Rome, Los Angeles and Dubai, according to a new report.

A study comparing the quality of life in more than 200 cities across the world has again placed Birmingham in 53rd spot after it featured in the same spot as last year's countdown.

Birmingham is the highest-ranked English city aside from London in the 2017 Quality of Living Index which is published by financial services firm Mercer.

It shares 53rd spot with Glasgow and also features higher than Miami (68th), Prague (69th), Hong Kong (71st) and Budapest (78th).

Edinburgh is the only other UK city to be placed higher than Birmingham, in 45th spot.

The study evaluated living conditions based on political, cultural and social environment, education, health, recreation and housing.

Mercer produced a second study this year about a city's infrastructure, such as transportation and utilities, in which Birmingham was ranked the highest UK city outside of the capital in joint 44th spot with Adelaide, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Kobe.

Unchanged from the 2016 ranking, the top five cities in the survey are:

1) Vienna, Austria

2) Zurich, Switzerland

3) Auckland, New Zealand

4) Munich, Germany

5) Vancouver, Canada

And the worst cities in the survey - also unchanged from last year - are:

227) Khartoum, Sudan

228) Port Au Prince, Haiti

229) Sana'a, Yemen

230) Bangui, Central African Republic

231) Baghdad, Iraq

Auckland was again named third for quality of life
Auckland was again named third for quality of life

Coun John Clancy, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: "The fantastic quality of life in Birmingham is increasingly recognised, not just in this country but around the world.

"From our renowned Michelin-starred restaurants, to an unrivalled cultural offer with gems like the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Birmingham Royal Ballet, plus international sporting events, this city has something for everyone.

"The number of foreign visitors has doubled in just three years and we are the most popular destination for Londoners wishing to make a new life outside of the capital."

Birmingham's hotel sector saw its most successful year in history, with hotel occupancy peaking at 99 per cent and averaging at 75 per cent during 2016.

A rise in new and relocating businesses has seen office construction in the city reach its highest level in more than 13 years.

Neil Rami, chief executive of Marketing Birmingham, added: "This is an encouraging report, reflecting the increasingly positive sentiment towards Birmingham as a place to live, visit and invest in.

"Lower living costs are tempting more and more people to live in Birmingham, and more businesses - from ambitious start-ups to global names like HSBC and PwC - to relocate or grow here.

"Essential to the quality of life in Birmingham is advancements in the city's infrastructure and transport.

"Birmingham witnessed a ten-fold increase in the construction of residential schemes last year while office construction is at a 13-year high."