Nearshore Americas

Mexico City is Most Youthful Latin American City: Report

Mexico City, Santiago and Rio De Janeiro are the most youthful cities in Latin America, according to a study conducted by Canada-based independent research firm Youthfulcities.

Mexico City took the top regional spot, after the research scored the city particularly highly in terms of civic engagement and employment. Chilean capital city Santiago finished in regional second, scoring well in public space and entrepreneurship, while Rio De Janeiro was found to have high scores in sports and travel.

Mexico City and Santiago were ranked 9th and 20th respectively in the global Index, which measured urban attractiveness from the perspective of youth. The Brazilian city scored good marks in several other areas too – education and culture specifically.

The initiative, according to the research firm, is the first attempt to quantify which cities are most attractive and suited to young people aged 15-29. The Index ranked 55 cities from across the world using 101 indicators across urban attributes such as transit, employment and sports.

The report says that half of the world’s population is under 30 years old and half now live in cities, adding that it is essential for cities to appeal to youth and actively find ways to unlock their potential.

“This index creates a wealth of comparable knowledge based on what is important to youth, which will be important for Santiago as we work towards reforming our education system and attempt to emerge as a hub for entrepreneurship,” said Ignacio Cartes, YouthfulCities’ representative in Santiago.

Topping the global index is New York City, followed by London. Other Latin American cities in the index are Buenos Aires, Bogota, Sao Paulo, Lima, Quito and Carcass, which are ranked 27, 29, 31, 32, 34 and 54 respectively.

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“Remember, every single city on this list is youthful, regardless of its position. Of a total of 1,600 points, the lowest cities on the list accumulated roughly 40%, while the top cities on the list accumulated roughly 60%. This means that every city has something to celebrate – something that stands out as incredibly youthful,” said Sonja Miokovic, Global Director, YouthfulCities.

Narayan Ammachchi

News Editor for Nearshore Americas, Narayan Ammachchi is a career journalist with a decade of experience in politics and international business. He works out of his base in the Indian Silicon City of Bangalore.

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