A comprehensive prosperity index has revealed that Turnov leads the Czech Republic in quality of life, followed by Luhačovice and Nové Město na Moravě. The study, conducted by Česká spořitelna and Evropa v datech, evaluated 206 microregions across seven key areas including economy, demographics, education, and healthcare.
While Prague dominated in several metrics, it surprisingly landed at 23rd place overall, with its ranking affected by higher crime rates and limited school accessibility. The capital also faces challenges with youth retention due to high living costs, pushing younger residents to seek more affordable housing in surrounding areas.
The study highlighted significant regional disparities, with the Karlovy Vary, Ústí, and Moravian-Silesian regions showing the lowest quality of life. These areas struggle with educated workforce retention, debt enforcement issues, and lower life expectancy. Podbořany in the Ústí region received the lowest ranking, followed by Bílina and Karviná.
Turnov, the top-ranked city, excelled in most categories, particularly in leisure activities and civic amenities. The city boasts excellent public transportation, above-average road network coverage, and a high density of libraries. However, it did show room for improvement in healthcare accessibility.
The study also revealed concerning demographic trends, with some regions facing significant challenges. For instance, Rumburk in the Děčín area has the country’s lowest life expectancy at 75 years – six years below the highest-ranking Nové Město nad Metují.