2026 Global Cities Index

Ranking the world’s 1,000 largest cities

The Global Cities Index is the world’s foremost city benchmarking tool.

We bring together a diverse array of indicators – drawn from our global forecasts and standardised qualitative datasets – to assess the strengths, weaknesses and future potential of the world’s 1,000 largest cities.

From established financial capitals to fast-rising megacities, the index benchmarks performance across five categories.

Going beyond a simple ranking, the Index provides a data-driven, forward-looking view of cities’ relative strengths, weaknesses and future potential. It helps businesses, governments and investors understand how cities compare, where their opportunities and challenges lie and how their prospects are evolving.

The 2026 Global Cities Index report

Download the full Global Cities Index 2026 to explore the complete rankings and scores for the world’s 1,000 largest cities, analysis of the key trends shaping their prospects, and detailed profiles of the global top 50 and our Cities to Watch across each region.

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Benchmark your city

How does your city really compare? Discover exactly where it stands regionally and globally with a tailored benchmarking report from Oxford Economics. The report will dig deeper into your city’s performance and provide you with the policy lessons needed to take action.

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Unmatched coverage

1,000 of the world’s major urban economies benchmarked on a single, standardised scale.

Five-category framework

Economics, Human Capital, Quality of Life, Environment and Governance combine into one holistic score.

Forward-looking

Built on Oxford Economics’ forecasting expertise, mapping the direction of travel.

Decision-ready

Designed for benchmarking, investment sizing, risk assessment and policy prioritisation.

The index at a glance — all 1,000 cities

Explore the rankings of all 1,000 cities. Interact with the globe or search for a city to discover its ranking and performance across the five categories.

All 1,000 cities

Rank by

Coloured by: Overall

Ranked by the selected category. Marker colour shows each city’s position band within the full 1,000.

A resilient global economy, and a shifting urban map

The 2026 Global Cities Index highlights key opportunities and utilises our forecasting expertise to set out the direction of travel for the future. While the metropolises of New York, London and Paris continue to dominate the very top of our ranking, the shift in activity towards Asia’s megacities cannot be overstated — these cities are increasingly relevant within our rankings.

But it is not just Asia where there are opportunities. Across the globe there are pockets of dynamism turning heads and increasing returns for those who know where to look. With the 2026 release we have launched a new “Cities to Watch” section, spotlighting our top five picks for each region where city economies are generating significant steam and will move up our rankings going forward.

Overall, the last year has certainly raised challenges — not least in the Middle East — yet the world’s economy and its urban landscape continue to march forward, lifting up living standards and opportunities as they proceed. Our Global Cities Index is capturing that march.

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Established Leaders

Global Cities Index 2026: key findings and trends across the world’s largest cities

Join this webinar to hear from our panel of experts about the latest rankings, the places to look out for, and how global trends are influencing the outcomes.