Oxford Economics Global Cities Index launches 2025 report

Global – Global urban influence is shifting, according to the newly released Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2025. While New York and London retain their top two positions – followed by Paris, San Jose and Seattle – the report reveals a notable ascent of emerging cities poised to reshape the global economic map.

The annual report scores and ranks cities based on several metrics across five categories: economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. This year, Sydney and Boston broke into the top 10, propelled by gains in quality of life and economic strength, respectively. Meanwhile, Los Angeles (11th) and Zurich (16th) fell out of the top 10 this year – in part due to declines in their human capital scores.

More telling, however, is the steady climb of cities in India, Indonesia, parts of Africa and Southeast Asia. Although these markets currently represent a smaller share of global GDP, Oxford Economics forecasts they’ll be among the fastest-growing urban economies over the next 25 years, driving a significant redistribution of global growth.

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