Oxford Economics is proud to launch the Global Cities Index, a ground-breaking initiative that offers comprehensive evaluation of the world’s 1,000 largest urban economies. This comprehensive index, developed by a team of leading economists, provides unparalleled insights into the multifaceted nature of urban environments worldwide.
The Global Cities Index assesses cities based on 27 indicators across five categories: Economics, Human Capital, Quality of Life, Environment and Governance. By leveraging Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Service and other publicly available datasets, the index allows direct comparison of cities and provides a nuanced understanding of each city’s strengths and areas for improvement.
Mark Britton, Director of City Services at Oxford Economics, says, “Cities are the epicentres of human civilisation, where innovation, diversity and progress converge. However, the complexity of urban dynamics often obscures our understanding of what makes a city truly successful. Our Global Cities Index provides a consistent framework for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the largest 1,000 cities across the world, and when coupled with our forecasts, it enables organisations and policymakers to make more informed strategic decisions.”
While the Index scores cities based on how they are performing now, there is potential for significant movement within the rankings in the coming years, as the 1,000 Global Cities navigate the concurrence of several global trends. “These include economic turbulence, political instability, high debt levels, trends in globalisation, pressures on healthcare and housing and the effects of climate change.”
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Authors behind this report
Mark Britton
Director, City Services
+44 (0) 203 910 8070
Mark Britton is a Director within Oxford Economics’ Cities Team. He leads a team of economists to provide clients with global city-level forecasts and research through a range of subscription products and consultancy projects.
Mark has more than 15 years’ experience in regional forecasting, model building and economic analysis for a broad range of clients across both the public and private sectors. He has a keen interest in developing quantitative solutions using a range of data science, econometric and geospatial techniques to provide organisations around the world with the tools to make more informed location decisions.
Mark recently coordinated the development of a new climate scenario service, which quantifies the impact of climate-related transition and physical risks on city and regional economies. He has led major consultancy projects, with recent examples including socioeconomic scenario analysis to support the development of city masterplans in the Middle East; commercial real estate forecasting; and location benchmarking to support strategic investment decisions.
Anthony Bernard-Sasges
Senior Economist, Cities and Regions
+44 (0) 20 3910 8018
Anthony Bernard-Sasges is a senior economist. He primarily produces research and forecasts for cities in Canada and the Middle East & North Africa. Anthony holds a master’s degree in Development Economics from the University of Oxford and a bachelor’s degree in International Political Economics from Georgetown University.
George Bowen
Senior Economist, Cities & Regions
+44 (0) 203 910 8130
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