Awards for the Québec City region

Whether for its quality of life, culture, business potential, or a multitude of other reasons, the Québec City region constantly stands out on the provincial and global scales. By earning various awards and through its advantageous position on many lists, Québec City demonstrates that it is an ideal place for your business and life project. Discover some of the awards earned by the region in recent years below.

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2021

  • 4th safest city in the world — Numbeo

    Based on Numbeo’s crime and safety indices, Québec City ranked 4th among the safest cities in the world. This ranking is based on available crime data as well as surveys from visitors on the site who give scores to cities around the world.

  • American Cities of the Future 2021-2022

    Created by the Financial Times, this list ranks cities according to their size and their potential for various aspects in connection with international investment. Québec City ranked advantageously on several criteria among medium-sized cities: 3rd city of the future (3rd in Canada), 6th for economic potential (2nd in Canada), 1st for human capital and living environment, 6th for business-friendliness (3rd in Canada), and 5th for connectivity (5th in Canada). All sizes combined, the city also ranked 9th for its foreign investment strategy (3rd in Canada).

2020

  • Best Cities for Families 2020 - Cities of Opportunity

    Created by Movinga, a company specializing in moving and mobility services, Québec City ranks 2nd in the world for its friendliness and the environment offered to families. The report takes criteria such as cost of living, employment, accessibility of education and family activities, support for families, and more into account.

  • 2020 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards

    For a fifth consecutive year, Québec City ranked first in Canada as the best tourist destination. This award is based on the reviews and votes of travellers from all over the planet, according to their tourism experiences.

  • 2020 North America’s 10 Most Romantic Cities

    According to research conducted by DatingAdvice.com, Québec City is the most romantic city in Canada and 2nd in North America. Its European charm, restaurant and hotel options, proximity to various rivers and mountains, and snowy streets in the winter have made it a favourite spot for trips as a couple.

2019

  • fDi Strategy Awards 2019

    Awarded by the Financial Times, the fDi Strategy Awards highlight excellence in promoting investments around the world, according to certain categories. Québec International thus stood out in three categories, according to the region’s results and the organization’s actions: Specialism Award - Job Creation, Specialism Award - R&D Support, and Specialism Award – Incentives.

  • American Cities of the Future 2019-2020

    Created by the Financial Times, this list ranks cities according to their size and their potential for various aspects in connection with international investment. Québec City ranked advantageously on several criteria among medium-sized cities: 5th city of the future (2nd in Canada), 6th for economic potential (2nd in Canada), 6th for human capital and living environment (2nd in Canada), 5th for business-friendliness (2nd in Canada), and 8th for connectivity (5th in Canada). All sizes combined, the city also ranked 9th for its foreign investment strategy (3rd in Canada).

  • Canadian Music City of the Year (2019 and 2017)

    Created by Canadian Music Week, these awards highlight concerts, artists, spaces, and more that contribute to the live music scene. Two times since the four editions of the prize, Québec City stood out as the city of the year for music events, thanks—among other things—to its cultural variety and the Festival d’été de Québec.

  • 3rd place on the World’s Safest Cities Ranking

    This ranking, produced by CEOWORLD Magazine, analyzes the crime rates of over 300 cities around the world to determine the safest cities. Continuing a trend over the three years of the ranking, Québec City was in the upper echelons of the list in 2019, at 3rd place.

  • 2nd best city in Canada for hosting sporting events – Global Sports Impact Index

    Produced by GSI Canada, this ranking takes national and international sporting events held in various Canadian cities into account to assess their capacity to host major sporting events. Québec City ranked 2nd in Canada.

  • 2019 Cruiser’s Choice Destination Awards – Canada and the United States

    Based on reviews left by cruisers, this ranking, compiled by Cruise Critic, positioned Québec City as the preferred cruise destination in the region of Canada and the United States. Among other factors, the reviews highlight the city’s historic charm and the abundance of activities near the cruise terminal.

2018

  • Best Canadian city to start an online business

    According to the Sellics site, Québec City is the best city in Canada to start an online business. Taking a multitude of factors into account, including cost of living, connectivity, social benefits, and the effort required to establish a business, the ranking positions Québec City advantageously in terms of its costs compared to cities all over the planet.

  • World Council City Data (WCCD) ISO 37120 Platinum Certification

    Québec City received this international certification on sustainable development and the quality of life of municipalities. It demonstrates the availability and use of open data to make decisions that are beneficial and effective for the public.

  • Best city for Canadian millennials – Millennial Hot Spots 2018

    Produced by Point2 Homes, a site specializing in real estate, this ranking positions Québec City as the most attractive city in Canada for millennials among the 85 cities studied. Its affordable housing, low unemployment and crime rates, and attractive wages explain this first-place ranking.

2017

  • American Cities of the Future 2017-2018

    Created by the Financial Times, this list ranks cities according to their size and their potential for various aspects in connection with international investment. Québec City stood out among other medium-sized Canadian and American cities as a city of the future (2nd in Canada, 5th in the Americas), for its economic potential (1st in Canada, 7th in the Americas), for its human capital and living environment (1st in Canada, 4th in the Americas), and for its business-friendliness (3rd place in Canada and the Americas). Québec City also ranks 3rd in Canada and 4th in the Americas among cities of all sizes for its foreign investment strategy.

  • Best Complete Streets Initiatives of 2017

    Produced by the National Complete Streets Coalition (NCSC), this document celebrates the best initiatives of communities to make their streets and transportation more equitable and efficient. Québec City and its complete street prioritization tool were among the 12 initiatives highlighted.

  • Best Winter Trips 2017

    According to National Geographic, Québec City was one of the top 10 places to visit in the winter. The city’s European charm, snowy streets, and numerous tourist opportunities are some of the reasons explaining this presence on the ranking.

2016

  • 2016 Leading Culture Destinations Awards

    These awards highlight remarkable establishments and places for cultural trips. Québec City stood out from other cities all over the planet and placed first in this ranking in 2016.

  • Competitive Alternatives 2016

    Created by KPMG International, this guide ranks several regions in the world according to their costs of operating a business. Québec City rose to first place for its low operating costs among the cities studied around the planet.

2015

  • American Cities of the Future 2015-2016

    Created by the Financial Times, this list ranks cities according to their size and their potential for various aspects in connection with international investment. Québec City ranked 3rd in the Americas for its business-friendliness and its foreign investment strategy among medium-sized cities.

  • The World’s Best Food Cities 2015

    According to the readers of Condé Nast Traveler, Québec City was one of the top 20 culinary destinations on the planet in 2015.

2014

  • 2014 Smart21 Communities of the Year

    Awarded each year by the Intelligent Community Forum, these awards are given to the 21 smartest communities—that is, those that do much more than capture and analyze data: they use it to instigate positive changes and improve living environments through collaboration. Québec City made an appearance on this prestigious list, illustrating the applied technological potential and the synergy of its players.

2013

  • Top 10 Best Revitalized Neighbourhoods in the World 2013

    The publisher Lonely Planet considered Québec City’s St-Roch neighbourhood to be one of the best examples of revitalization in the world in 2013. Murals, culinary diversity, theatres, and shops, as well as the shift toward technological companies explain the great success of this renaissance.

  • Top 10 Cities in the World - Reader’s Choice Awards 2013

    Compiled by Condé Nast Traveler, this list is based on the votes and opinions of the magazine’s readers to determine their favourite city for tourism. Québec City placed in the top 10 cities on this list for its historic charm, its pathways lined with shops, its restaurants, and the work of its artisans.

  • 2013 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards

    Québec City ranked first in Canada and among the top 10 in North America as a top tourist destination. This award is based on the reviews and votes of travellers from all over the planet, based on their tourism experiences.

  • Finalist in the 2013 IBM Smarter Cities Challenge worldwide competition

    This competition from IBM aims to recognize and support cities that use and analyze data to improve their decisions and policies. Québec City was one of the global finalists of this competition, highlighting its efforts to concretely improve living environments.

  • Best city in Canada in the Ma ville, ma fierté competition

    Awarded in 2013 by Sélection magazine from Reader’s Digest, this award is based on the submissions of Canadians, highlighting the assets of their favourite city. Québec City ranked first in this Canadian competition.

  • #2 Top Canadian Metros, 2013 Best Place to Invest in Canada

    Awarded by Site Selection magazine, this Canadian ranking positioned the Québec City region as the second-best metropolitan area for investments. This decision is based on a wide range of factors, including costs, the quality of the available workforce, quality of life, and more.

  • Canada’s Best Places to Live 2013

    Produced by MoneySense, this ranking evaluates Canadian cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants on criteria such as prosperity, housing costs, climate, crime, and more. According to this ranking, Québec City was in the top 10 large cities, while Lévis was also advantageously positioned in the top 10 medium-sized cities.

  • Americas’ Top 25, 2012-2013 Index of the Global Innovation Economy

    Based on data from 2thinknow, this ranking evaluates the innovation capacity of various cities around the world. For the Americas, Québec City ranked among the top 25 innovative cities, highlighting its role as a “hub” on a global scale.

2012

  • 2012 Top 7 Intelligent Communities of the Year

    Selected from the annual top 21 by the Intelligent Community Forum, the cities of this top 7 stand out on a global scale through their ability to capture, analyze, and use data to instigate positive changes and improve living environments through collaboration. Québec City placed in this very select group in 2012.

  • Competitive Alternatives 2012

    Created by KPMG International, this guide ranks several regions in the world according to their costs of operating a business. Québec City rose to first place in North America for its low costs of operation among the cities studied around the planet.

  • Safest Canadian city for children in 2012

    According to data from Statistics Canada, Québec City was the safest city in Canada for children in 2012, continuing a long-term trend for the city in terms of safety.

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