Asia Pacific
New York has retained its position as the world’s top city in the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2026, followed by London and Paris. Tokyo ranked first among Asian cities, securing ninth place globally.
New York has retained its position as the world’s top city in the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2026, followed by London and Paris. Tokyo ranked first among Asian cities, securing ninth place globally. The index evaluates 1,000 cities worldwide, with London in second place and Paris in third. Tokyo is the highest-ranked Asian city and stands out in a list otherwise dominated by Western cities.
The index assesses cities across five categories: economics, which accounts for 30% of the overall score; human capital and quality of life, each contributing 25%; and environment and governance, each accounting for 10%. Governance is assessed at the national level, meaning that cities within the same country receive identical scores in this category.
New York’s leading position is supported by its metropolitan economy, valued at $2.6 trillion in 2025, the largest among the cities assessed. Its strengths in finance, technology, media and corporate headquarters have helped it rank first in economics and fifth in human capital. London, meanwhile, leads the human capital category, supported by its universities and concentration of highly educated workers. Approximately 40% of its residents were born abroad. Paris, which also has an economy worth more than $1 trillion, ranks 10th in quality of life, benefiting from high life expectancy, relatively strong incomes and cultural amenities, including approximately 130 museums.
Seattle ranks fourth overall, supported by the presence of Microsoft and Amazon, as well as its aerospace and retail sectors. San Francisco ranks fifth and San Jose eighth, reflecting the economic influence of Silicon Valley. San Jose has the highest GDP per capita of any city in the index, estimated at $238,700 in 2025. However, strong economic performance does not guarantee high rankings across every category. San Jose ranks third in economics but 121st in human capital. Boston ranks ninth in economics but 289th in the environment category, partly because of its exposure to flooding. Oxford Economics also identified high housing costs, income inequality and economic concentration as challenges facing major US technology hubs.
Dublin, ranked sixth overall, stands ninth globally in the environment category, benefiting from low pollution and a temperate climate, although housing affordability remains a major challenge. Oslo ranks sixth in quality of life and eighth in governance. Copenhagen leads the governance category but ranks 18th overall. Zurich also features in the top 10, supported by productive financial services, strong educational institutions and a high standard of living.
Tokyo ranks third in human capital, reflecting its large pool of skilled workers and major educational institutions. However, it stands 454th in the environment category, the lowest environmental ranking among the overall top 10 cities. Earthquakes, typhoons and other natural hazards weigh on its performance in this category. Eight of the 10 cities that featured in the 2025 rankings have retained their places in the top 10 this year. Looking ahead, Oxford Economics expects rapidly growing Asian cities to gain greater economic influence as they expand in advanced manufacturing, technology and business services. This development could make competition among the world’s leading cities increasingly intense.
