BENCHMARK | Global Cities Index 2026 – Oxford Economics

ABSTRACT

The Global Cities Index, compiled by the consulting firm Oxford Economics, isa ranking of 1,000 metropolitan areas across 163 countries, for which data is available and standardized to facilitate international comparisons—a task that is always challenging. These metropolitan areas are rated based on 27 indicators grouped into five performance categories: Economy, Human Capital, Quality of Life, Environment, and Governance. 

Europe and North America dominate the 2026 ranking, occupying 78 of the top 100 spots: Europe has 44 cities, the United States has 30, and Canada has 4. But the drivers of this success differ: in the United States, high scores in Economy and Human Capital are driving the rankings upward, while in Europe, it is rather strong performance in Quality of Life, Environment, and Governance. However, based on observed trends and projections, Asian cities (in China, India, Singapore, Vietnam, etc.) are experiencing the most dynamic growth. 

Twenty-two French cities are listed in the report: Paris (3rd), Lyon (88th), Toulouse (126th), Grenoble (130th), Nantes (135th), Bordeaux (137th), Rennes (145th), Montpellier (166th), Marseille (203rd), Strasbourg (208th), Tours (261st), Lille (266th), Orléans (267th), Nice (276th), Toulon (284th), Clermont-Ferrand (296th), Dijon (306th), Saint-Étienne (355th), Caen (391st), Nancy (412th), and Lens (453rd).

Keywords: metropolitan areas, attractiveness, benchmark, ranking, international comparison, population growth, economic dynamism, higher education, environment, Global Cities Index, governance, index, international, metropolitan areas, quality of life, reputation, talent, university, cities, Oxford Economics. 

Illustration: © Oxford Economics