Manas Malhotra
The Oxford Economics’ 2026 Global Cities Index assesses cities across economics, human capital, quality of life, environment, and governance to compare their global standing.
Zurich ranks 10 in the list with an overall score of 89.1. The Swiss city features among the world’s highest-ranked urban centres in the index.
Tokyo takes the ninth spot with an overall score of 89.5. It is the only city in the Asia-Pacific region in this ranking.
San Jose ranks eighth with an overall score of 89.6. The US city remains among the leading urban centres in the 2026 index.
Boston occupies the seventh position with an overall score of 90.7, placing the US city among the index’s highest-ranked global cities.
Dublin ranks sixth with an overall score of 91.3. The Irish capital features ahead of several major cities in the 2026 global ranking.
San Francisco takes the fifth place with an overall score of 91.9, making it one of the five US cities in the top-10 list.
Seattle ranks fourth with an overall score of 92.8. The US city sits just below the top three cities in the global index.
Paris ranks third with an overall score of 93.4. The French capital is one of two European cities occupying the top three positions.
London takes second place with an overall score of 98.8. The capital of the UK records a score considerably higher than Paris in the ranking.
New York tops the 2026 Global Cities Index with a perfect overall score of 100, leading all 1,000 cities assessed globally.