Manchester one of the best cities globally for young people

Manchester has been named one of the best cities world-wide for young people to live in according to the Millennial City Ranking – and one of the most popular for students.

It is only the second time the list has been created and aims to pin-point the global cities where digitally intuitive and entrepreneurial millennials are best choosing to make their home.

Out of 110 cities, Manchester made the top 10 list that looks at four main concerns for young people – does the city have available work, can young people afford to live a good life, is the city open and tolerant, and – importantly – how fun is the city.

In the list, other factors such as internet speed, gender equality, start-up opportunities and progress in the work place were also taken into account to understand the best cities for young people in 2018.

Manchester scored particularly well when it comes to personal freedom and choice, LGBT friendly markers, immigration tolerance, and – of course – nightlife.

Manchester has also been named fourth most popular place for students to live in the world, behind London and the Australian cities Melbourne and Sydney, according to www.student.com whose research looked at 426 cities across the world.

The research found that students are willing to travel across the globe for higher education and 19% of students studying in the UK are from abroad. At full-time postgraduate level, 53% of students are from outside the UK.

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said: “We know that Manchester is popular with young people and the popularity and high-quality teaching at the city’s universities mean more and more graduates are choosing to remain in the city, find a job and lay their roots here.

“Manchester offers the benefits of some of the world’s most recognisable cities, with great employment opportunities and entertainment – but young people can enjoy these benefits far more affordably than some of the other cities celebrated in the list, like London or New York.

“The city council also offers a range of advice and support for people who are looking to start and build a business in Manchester, which has proven successful for business from seed organisations through to multi-national business.”