Athenians grouch over life quality, pollution
Athenians are the unhappiest residents of the European Union when it comes to assessing the air pollution levels in their city and their standard of living, according to a survey conducted in 31 European cities. The Eurobarometer survey, conducted by the European Commission, questioned Athenians and residents of Iraklion, Crete, on quality-of-life issues in the two cities. Athens ranked dead last of the cities in air pollution, and Iraklion came in 21st. In a standard-of-living assessment, the capital pulled up the rear again, indicating the discontent of its inhabitants on the issue. Iraklion ranked sixth, showing that its residents were relatively happy with their living standards. Athenians also appear to find their city dangerous, according to the survey. Athens came in second to last on questions about how safe they felt their city to be, while Iraklion ranked ninth. The cities scoring top marks were Rennes in France (on pollution) and the Swedish capital Stockholm (on living standards). The Commission surveyed 300 people in each of the 31 cities in January last year during the poll.
