Click on a city to see its ranking or filter below to see cities ranked by different categories.
Rank out of 1,000
Evaluating the opportunities and challenges facing cities is made more complicated by the inherent structural differences of urban areas located in different parts of the world. To equip businesses and governments alike to make informed decisions, the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index provides a holistic assessment of the 1,000 largest cities in the world.
Our Global Cities Index brings together a diverse array of indicators to measure each city’s strengths, drawn from our suite of global city forecasts and complemented by other qualitative datasets.
In this year’s index, New York maintains its leading position, with London and Paris following closely behind.
New York remains the top city in our 2025 Global Cities Index. The city is the economic capital of the United States, and in many ways, the world. It is a global hub for finance, tech, advertising, and media, which explains New York’s top ranking in the Economics category. It has the largest metro economy in the world, nearly double that of the next-largest city (Los Angeles). While the city’s economy is dominated by its massive finance sector, leading to lower economic diversity than other American cities, GDP growth has historically been stable in New York, and its fortunes look positive for the future.
London may fit the definition of a “Global City” more than anywhere else in the world. The city has established itself as a perpetually relevant locale for business, science and technology, education, and the arts. This global economic powerhouse scores eighth in our Economics category, thanks to the size of the city’s economy (the fourth-largest in the world). But London really stands out as the world’s leading city for Human Capital, due to its numerous world leading universities, diverse labour force, and large pool of international headquarters.
For centuries, Paris has stood as one of the largest cities in the world, forging a path as a leader in diplomacy, commerce, sciences, culture, and gastronomy. With an economy largely focused on services, it is now the fifth-largest city in the world in terms of GDP, and the second-largest in Europe. Its cultural heritage along with the presence of significant historical landmarks have contributed to making the city one of the top tourist destinations worldwide, attracting millions of visitors annually.
Download the full report to discover the strengths that set the top-performing cities apart.
Trade tensions and deglobalisation are causing considerable headwinds to economic growth worldwide, potentially triggering substantial shifts in supply chains and the way countries do business with each other over the coming years.
In the face of uncertainty, the world’s leading cities have historically demonstrated resilience, making them best placed to navigate current challenges. Not only are they the engines that drive the global economy, but cities are also centres of learning, innovation, culture, and decision-making that shape the future of our world.
While traditional urban giants like New York, London, and Tokyo still exert enormous influence on the world economy, we expect the geography of global growth to shift significantly over the next 25 years, as cities in India and other parts of the developing world increase their contributions to the global economy.
By 2050, the 1,000 largest cities in the world will have half a billion more residents than today, presenting an incredible opportunity for these urban centres. More residents and jobs will fuel a huge rise in GDP, which will also benefit from a 50% rise in productivity by 2050.
These productivity gains will fuel income growth, and we forecast that over a quarter of the world’s cities will see their average household incomes more than double in the next 25 years.
Download the full report to reveal the scores of all 1,000 cities.
Each city is unique in its structure, outlook, and history. But in many cases, cities evolve along similar development pathways, sharing characteristics, challenges, and opportunities with other cities around the world.
To help classify these cities and their shared traits, we have created a typology of city archetypes to allow decisionmakers to compare and monitor the performance of similar cities. The archetypes have been defined using a range of metrics from all five categories of the Global Cities Index, with each archetype focusing on a different set of common traits.
Classifying the world’s major cities in this way reveals some key trends for each group, pinpointing similarities, and—equally important—differences between types of cities.
The true “global cities” that drive the world economy. They are the largest cities in the world by GDP, and are financial and business hubs with many corporate headquarters and universities.
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Important and large cities in their regions, but not as economically powerful on the global stage as the Global Leaders. They outperform their respective countries on metrics such as economic growth and income per person, and tend to have more universities and business activity than neighbouring cities.
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Mostly smaller cities that have high quality of life. They have many cultural sites and a sizeable share of foreign-born residents. They tend to attract residents and tourists alike due to their amenities and educational opportunities.
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Cities that have prioritized sustainable growth and are focused on adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change. They have low emissions intensities and are focused on the clean energy transition, with the political stability to support their climate goals.
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Cities dependent on extraction or manufacturing to drive growth. They tend to have low economic diversity and experience volatile growth due to the nature of their key industries. These cities often have high emissions intensities.
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Cities facing a demographic challenge from ageing (and falling) populations. As a result, GDP growth is slowing or stagnant and they often struggle to attract immigrants, leading to a low share of foreign-born residents.
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Very large urban areas (over 10 million residents) in the developing world. Their infrastructure investments have often struggled to keep up with the increasing population and they have low levels of income per person.
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Cities in the developing world that are outperforming their respective countries. They attract residents due to their fast productivity growth and higher levels of income per person than their country as a whole.
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In both the Economics and Human Capital categories, the Global Leaders unsurprisingly emerge as the strongest performers, reflecting their economic prowess and their abundance of well-educated, productive workers.
Although Global Leaders excel in Quality of Life, they are outperformed by the smaller Cultural Capitals, which, while not as economically dominant, offer a higher quality of life for residents.
Sustainable Cities achieve the highest scores in both the Environment and Governance categories, underscoring their commitment to environmental priorities and the robustness of their institutions.
The Oxford Economics Global Cities Index scores cities across five different categories to achieve a well-rounded comparison of locations. Click on a category below to learn more about it.
A city’s economy plays a crucial role in its prosperity and attractiveness. Economic vitality is a fundamental aspect of urban development, driving a city’s wealth generation, employment opportunities, access to goods and services and much more. Our Economics category allows for an assessment of a city’s potential for sustained growth and development.
In the Economics category we assess the economic size, structure, and growth of each city, examining both historical performance and future potential. The indicators we use are:
Human capital encompasses the collective knowledge and skills of a city’s population, underpinning the economic potential of every city. It reflects the dynamics of educational attainment, innovation, and demographics at play across metropolitan areas. In today’s knowledge-based economy, cities with diverse, highly-skilled workforces and innovative businesses are better positioned to adapt to technological change and compete globally.
In the Human Capital category we assess the educational and business climates of each city, in conjunction with demographic trends. The indicators we use are:
Quality of life encapsulates the wellbeing and satisfaction of a city’s residents, reflecting the intersection of various socioeconomic factors. This category provides insights into the liveability and attractiveness of a city, which can play a role in migration patterns, talent retention and the overall happiness of residents.
In the Quality of Life category we assess the benefits of living in each city and residents’ wellbeing, covering financial and health outcomes, as well as access to amenities. The indicators we use are:
With climate change at the forefront of international, national, and urban policymaking, the relevance of this category is undeniable. The Environment category evaluates a city’s commitment to environmental sustainability and its predisposition to climate change risks; environmental sustainability is critical for ensuring long-term resilience.
In the Environment category we assess the natural environment of each city on climate change-related issues. The indicators we use are:
Governance is the basic foundation for city prosperity across the other four categories. Good governance fosters trust, social cohesion, and equitable access to opportunities, while poor governance can lead to inefficiencies, corruption, and social unrest. In recognition of the fact that national governments—not just those at the city level—have a significant influence on these outcomes, this category is measured at the national level, rather than at the city level. As a result, every city in a given country receives the same score.
In the Governance category we assess measure the political stability of a city and the degree to which residents’ rights are protected. The indicators we use are:
The Global Cities Index is just the beginning; our subscription and consulting services take you further.
The Oxford Economics Global Cities Index offers a holistic ranking of the 1,000 cities included in our Global Cities Forecasting Service. It provides a data-driven overview of the attractiveness of city economies based on a diverse range of quantifiable metrics—supporting strategic decisions across sectors from finance and real estate to infrastructure, logistics, and government.
Behind the index lies the strength of our Cities Team with over 40 dedicated economists possessing deep expertise in spatial data, urban dynamics, and forecasting. Our service goes far beyond rankings. It includes in-depth city-level forecasts, scenario modelling, and tailored consultancy for clients needing to understand not just how cities compare, but where they’re headed and why.
From strategic site selection and infrastructure planning to labour market analysis and climate risk modelling, our dynamic service is trusted by governments, investors, developers, and global corporates alike. Underpinned by fully integrated global, national, and city-level models, we help clients test scenarios, plan for shocks, and build strategies with confidence.
Whether through subscription or bespoke consulting, Oxford Economics provides the clarity, credibility, and foresight needed to make better-informed decisions at the city scale.
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