List of the Best Cities on the Planet Published – The First Won’t Surprise You, but the Third Will!
Which cities today truly provide the best balance of life – from economy and education to culture, food, and governance? That question is raised every year, and the latest answer comes from Oxford Economics, which has just released its Global Cities Index for 2025.
The analysis covered the 1,000 most populous cities, evaluated based on 27 indicators across five categories: economy, human capital, quality of life, environment, and governance. Each city receives an overall score – reports Nova.
So, which city took first place for 2025? New York tops the list for the second year in a row. “The Big Apple” scored a perfect 100 overall and excelled in the economic category due to its high GDP, high income per capita, and status as home to many corporations.
However, it did not perform well in the environment and governance categories – ranking 168th and 161st, respectively. Weaknesses included a low level of equality, high housing costs, and a lack of economic diversity.
In second place is London, which retained its position from 2024 with an overall score of 98.5. The British capital shares some of New York’s weaknesses but stands out with a large number of universities, lower emission levels, and a high GDP.
Third place went to Paris, with a score of 94.4. The City of Light shone in the human capital and quality of life categories, with its many cultural and recreational offerings contributing to its high ranking.
The top five are rounded out by two more American cities – San Jose and Seattle – with as many as eight U.S. cities making the top 20.
These are the best cities in the world according to the Global Cities Index for 2025:
New York, USA
London, United Kingdom
Paris, France
San Jose, USA
Seattle, USA
Melbourne, Australia
Sydney, Australia
Boston, USA
Tokyo, Japan
San Francisco, USA
Los Angeles, USA
Washington DC, USA
Dublin, Ireland
Stockholm, Sweden
Seoul, South Korea
Zurich, Switzerland
Oslo, Norway
Copenhagen, Denmark
Dallas, USA
Toronto, Canada
