SINGAPORE: Singapore has clinched the 21st spot in the Global Cities Index 2025, a comprehensive ranking of the world’s top 1,000 cities published by UK-based think tank Oxford Economics.
The index evaluates cities based on five key dimensions: economy, human capital, quality of life, environment, and governance.
Singapore scored a total of 83.9 out of 100, putting it ahead of many regional peers and just outside the global top 20. Notably, Singapore’s performance in the “quality of life” category stood out, placing it 4th worldwide, affirming the country’s clean urban environment, high safety standards, and strong infrastructure.
New York City retained its crown as the world’s top-ranked city for the second year running, achieving a perfect score of 100. London and Paris followed in second and third places respectively.
Rounding out the top 10 were San Jose, Seattle, Melbourne, Sydney, Boston, Tokyo, and San Francisco—underscoring the dominance of cities from the United States and advanced economies in the index.
While Singapore fared well overall, its rankings across the different categories varied. It came in 23rd for environment and 41st for human capital—categories that assess ecological sustainability and workforce talent, respectively.
However, its rankings in economy (106th) and governance (135th) were noticeably lower, suggesting room for improvement in areas such as business dynamism, economic diversity, and government transparency or regulatory effectiveness.
The Global Cities Index, produced annually, is widely regarded as a benchmark for assessing urban competitiveness and liveability. Oxford Economics compiled the rankings using a mix of quantitative data points and expert assessments across all five dimensions.