Global Cities Index (Oxford Economics)
Oxford Economics ranks the world's 1,000 largest cities on economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance, drawing on its own city economic forecasts. It is the broadest global city ranking by coverage and gives heavy weight to economic size and growth prospects.
- Reliability
- Grade B · 9/12
- Publisher
- Oxford Economics
- Ranks
- Cities
- Editions
- 3 since 2024
- Method
- Data
- How items get in
- Compiled by the publisher
- Status
- New
Editions
How the ranking works
The index scores 1,000 cities on 27 indicators in five categories, weighted Economics 30%, Human Capital 25%, Quality of Life 25%, Environment 10% and Governance 10%. Economics covers GDP size, five-year GDP and employment forecasts, GDP per person, stability and diversity; Human Capital covers universities, corporate headquarters, educational attainment, foreign-born population and age profile; Quality of Life covers income, income equality, housing costs, life expectancy and amenities. Governance is measured at national level, so every city in a country shares the same governance score.
Indicators are normalized within categories and combined into a weighted overall score, rescaled so the top city scores 100. Because forecasts feed the Economics category, revisions to growth outlooks can move cities between editions (for example Melbourne and Sydney fell out of the 2026 top 10 on weaker growth projections).
Scores only: Indicator scores are published without a single overall rank. All 1,000 cities in Oxford Economics' Global Cities Forecasting Service are ranked; cities cannot apply. Oxford Economics sells the underlying forecasts and city comparison tools (from GBP 9,950 plus VAT), and the free report is published as marketing for that service.
How far to trust it
Superscout grades every ranking on six criteria, each scored 0 to 2. Global Cities Index scores 9 of 12, grade B.
- Transparency 2/2
- Indicators and category weights are listed in the report.
- Independence 1/2
- Census of its city database, but the index markets the publisher's paid data products.
- Evidence 2/2
- Built on economic statistics and forecasts.
- Stability 1/2
- Forecast revisions shift ranks; release timing moved from May to September in 2026.
- Coverage 2/2
- Ranks 1,000 cities worldwide.
- Track record 1/2
- Three editions since 2024.
History
Oxford Economics launched the index in May 2024 as a ranking of the 1,000 cities in its Global Cities Forecasting Service. A second edition followed in May 2025 and a third in September 2026, which added a 'Cities to Watch' feature. New York and London have held the top two places in every edition.
How it is received
The launch was covered by Bloomberg ('New York, London Top New Ranking of 1000 Global Cities', May 2024), and regional outlets report local placements. Because the index is built on Oxford Economics' proprietary forecasts and is used to market its paid city data, the underlying data cannot be independently checked; no published methodological critique was found.
Strengths
- Covers 1,000 cities, far more than most global city indices.
- Category weights and indicator list are published.
- Includes forward-looking growth forecasts, not only current size.
- Scores are published for the top cities.
Weaknesses
- Relies on the publisher's own proprietary forecasts.
- Only three editions, so stability is untested.
- Governance is scored nationally, not per city.
- Full city scores are sold as a paid product.
Open questions
Facts not verified yet. They stay visible so they are not mistaken for settled facts.
- Berlin's 2025 rank not confirmed; the brief's 'up 7' implies #29 in 2025 but no source was found.
- 2025 ranks 6 to 10 conflict between Wikipedia and a summary of the publisher's article.
- 2026 rank 48 not found in the report profiles.
- Full 1,000-city list for 2026 is on an interactive page and was not extracted.
Superscout describes Global Cities Index independently from the publisher’s own pages and outside coverage, linked below. The rankings belong to Oxford Economics.
Sources and known limits
Last reviewed .
- 2026 Global Cities Index (Oxford Economics)
- Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2026 report (copy posted by Jacksonville Today)
- The world's top-performing cities in 2026
- Global Cities Index reveals the top performing cities in 2025
- The top 10 cities in the world, as ranked by Oxford Economics' new Global Cities Index
- New York, London Top New Ranking of 1000 Global Cities (Bloomberg)
- Compare your city (Oxford Economics)
- Global city (Wikipedia)