WHILE not in the top 10 best cities for Generation Z worldwide, Manila was in the top 10 for gender equality in a study by Nestpick Global Services (NGS) GmbH.
According to NGS, which operates the Nestpick web site, the study “reveals the best international cities that support Generation Z’s values and vision by using data relating to advocacy, digitalization, livability and business opportunities.”
The study ranked Manila 101 out of 110 2019 best cities for Generation Z worldwide.
Citing the Pew Research Center, NGS defines a member of Gen Z as those born between the years 1997 to 2012.
“Despite the lack of a definitive boundary separating millennials and Generation Z, 1996 was selected due to the common key social, political and technological circumstances that form the foundation of each generation,” NGS said. “Gen Z-ers are known to be digital natives who value security, diversity, and autonomy and aim to achieve it through pragmatism and determination.”
The NGS added that members of the Gen Z “are starting to graduate from university this year and are now entering the work force.”
“Alongside facing global crises such as climate change, this digitally connected age group will also have to tackle artificial intelligence replacing humans, meaning that Gen Z-ers must train in machine learning to stay ahead of the curve,” NGS said in a statement.
The Berlin, Germany-based operator of on-demand housing platform Nestpick dot-com said the index “aims to determine which cities around the world are meeting their needs, and how they are making themselves attractive destinations to appeal to the creators, advocates and pioneers of tomorrow.”
The study focused on four broad categories with factors that determine the extent to which a city is attractive to live for Gen Z and embraces their values.
First among these categories is “digital,” with the following factors: government digitalization, education and privacy and security. In these factors, Manila was given a score out of 100 of 56.39, 22.25 and 26.58, respectively.
“Please note that where scores are out of 100—the higher the score, the better,” the NGS explained. “A value of 100 does not mean a city is the most ideal city for Gen Z and has zero room for improvement. Instead, it means that it is the leading city which at present, best embraces this demographic out of all the cities in the index.”
The second category is “principles” with the following factors: internationalism, environmental action, gender equality and right to protest, among many. In these factors, Manila was given a score out of 100 of 2.58, 58.66, 79.43 and 48.59, respectively.
Manila ranked at No. 9 in terms of gender equality, scoring higher than cities in France, Germany, the UK and Canada.
The third category is “leisure,” which includes Esports as a factor. Manila scored 6.8 on this.
The fourth category is “business,” which has the factors affordability, social entrepreneurship and artificial-intelligence (AI) industry, among others. Manila scored 91.77, 28.77 and 11.45 in these factors, respectively.
With a total score of 100, London is the No. 1 city for Generation Z, NGS’s study revealed.
“With a focus on values, London’s overall compatibility with Gen Z principles, ability to meet educational needs and strong business opportunities makes it the strongest-performing city in the index.”
In the top 10 cities for digitalized mobility and sharing economies—factors under the digital category—Shanghai, China, is the only Asian city.
In the top 10 cities for the AI industry, three Asian cities are included: Tokyo, Beijing and Singapore, at eighth, ninth and 10th, respectively.
Singapore has the highest “connectivity/5G” score, followed by Seoul and Stockholm. It also has the highest “Safety” score, followed by Wellington and Osaka.
“For Generation Z, being concerned about the economic and environmental future was something conditioned from birth. For this new, evolving demographic, the ubiquity of issues ranging from climate change to growing up through a global economic crisis has made them so fundamentally distinct,” Ömer Kücükdere, founder and CEO of Nestpick.com, was quoted in a statement as saying. “To continue attracting talented, young individuals, public officials need to take legitimate action to address their concerns before they risk losing them. We hope this study calls upon legislators and private entities to meet their demands and create a more secure, sustainable and progressive framework moving forward.”