Manila made it to the 51st place among 60 areas in the Safe Cities Index 2021 released on Monday by The Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU).
The index ranks 60 cities spread out in five continents in terms of urban safety based on personal, health, infrastructure, digital, and environmental security, The EIU said.
Copenhagen topped the list with 82.4 points out of 100, followed by Toronto (82.2 points), Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.
The rest of the top 10 are Amsterdam, Wellington, Hong Kong, Melbourne and Stockholm, in that order.
The Safe Cities Index 2021 is the fourth such edition. The index is part of a research project sponsored by NEC Corporation, The EIU said.
According to Naka Kondo, senior editor of The EIU and editor of the Safe Cities Index 2021 report, digital security has become even more important now during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Digital security is now an even higher priority as more work and commerce have moved online; those responsible for infrastructure safety have to adjust to dramatic changes in travel patterns and where residents consume utilities; agencies responsible for personal security need to address a large, lockdown-driven shift in crime patterns; and the priority that urban residents and officials assign to environmental security has risen markedly as covid-19 serves as a stark warning of unexpected crises," Kondo said.
It was only this year that environmental security was added as among the pillars considered in rating the cities, reflecting "the increased importance of sustainability issues and climate adaptation measures amid the pandemic," The EIU said.
In 2019, Manila ranked 43rd out of 60 cities in the Safe Cities Index that year.
Source: The Economist and GMA network