Australia's most liveable city is now also the friendliest in the world, according to a new report.
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Melbourne has been hailed for its kind inhabitants and inclusive culture, with the city taking top spot against its global peers, according to the Benchmarking Melbourne 2023 report released on Thursday.
The Victorian city had the 12th highest share of reviews of main attractions mentioning "friendly" out of 27 peer cities, while 72 per cent of expatriates said they think the locals are friendly, compared with 66 per cent globally.
Melbourne also ranks second for inclusivity and wellbeing measures, and is the fourth most vegan-friendly city globally.
Committee for Melbourne chief executive Mark Melvin said the report proves Melbourne continues to outshine its peer cities, including London, San Francisco, Sydney and Singapore.
"The report proves Melbourne has so much to offer, including a fantastic visitor experience, an open and inclusive educational offering, a highly talented workforce, and an entrepreneurial spirit," Mr Melvin said.
The city also ranked fourth in the "experience'' economy after meeting the demands for high-quality experiences, eighth in image and influence due to its credibility and reputation, and ninth in skills and talent.
It was also listed as the seventh least congested city among 17 peers, with the number of hours lost to congestion almost 25 per cent lower than the average.
Despite its popularity, the city declined across reputation and perception benchmarks, ranking 16th, down from 13th last year.
When it comes to benchmarks measuring performance and delivery, Melbourne fell from 24th last year to 25th place.
Premier Daniel Andrews disagreed with certain elements of the report, saying the city had not lost its appeal.
"Have a look around the city, Melbourne's back, Victoria is back,'' he said.
"The 10 biggest events in Australia were all in Melbourne and Victoria in January, whether it's the Grand Prix, theatre, the list goes on and on and on, festival after festival.
"So I would respectfully disagree with people who are suggesting that Melbourne is not vibrant and back and strong."
The annual Benchmarking Melbourne report is based on a review of more than 100 global city benchmark studies compiled by The Business of Cities, based in London.
Australian Associated Press
