France is the Best Place in the World to Live, Says International Living (www.internationalliving.com) in Its 2009 Quality of Life Index

Baltimore, MD, January 15, 2009 --(PR.com)-- “The French believe that every day is a pleasure to be savored—lingering at the dinner table for hours in conversation is normal. Family, friends, and good food are all vitally important—and so is having enough time to appreciate them all. There is no better place to live than France.”

So say the editors of International Living in their annual Annual Quality of Life Index.

For the fourth year running, France has earned the top spot as the best place in the world to live, says International Living Publisher Dan Prescher.

“I think anyone who has spent any amount of time in France knows why it is so special,” he says. “Paris may be the most beautiful and romantic city on earth. I personally love France for the food and wine. And for its efficiency. You can easily get to just about anyplace in the country via well-run, on-time trains. And once you get outside Paris, France is very affordable. You can live very well and not spend a lot of money. And that’s very important in these rough economic times.”

To compile the Quality of Life Index, says Laura Sheridan, managing editor of International Living magazine, “we compare almost 200 countries in nine categories: Cost of Living, Culture and Leisure, Economy, Environment, Freedom, Health, Infrastructure, Safety and Risk, and Climate. This involves number crunching from official government sources, the World Health Organization, The Economist, and many other data sources. And we ask our editors and correspondents around the world to weigh in with real-life opinions about the countries they live in and report on.

“For instance, ‘quality of life’ for some people means living in a tropical paradise where the only shoes you need are a pair of flip flops. Others want access to the cultural events a city offers. And some like the idea of being able to afford a maid or a gardener, as you can in Latin America or Asia.”

This year, says Sheridan, as with the past three years, all the number-crunching, rating, and ranking landed France at the top of the Index. France scores high marks across the board…from its health care (84 points) to its infrastructure (90 points) to its safety rating (100 points). But the main appeal of living in France is arguably its lifestyle (its scores 85 points in our Culture and Leisure category).

Surprisingly, despite high scores in nearly every category, France remains an affordable place to live. As opposed to last year, Americans especially have an advantage in France with a favorable exchange rate.

“Today, a euro is worth $1.31,” Sheridan says. “Six months ago, a 100,000-euro house for sale in France would have cost you $159,000. Today, the same house would cost you $132,000. That’s a 17% drop in six months.”

Thanks to the global economic crisis, France is a buyer’s market, she adds. For the full story, go to www.internationalliving.com/qofl2009

For interview and further comments, contact Suzan Haskins: shaskins@internationalliving.com

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