Ranked: 100 best cities in the world 2025

The 100 best cities in the world have been ranked for 2025 based on livability, lovability and prosperity. We take a look at the results

In 2018, a UN study suggested that 55% (4.2 billion people) of the world’s population lived in urban areas.

This proportion is projected to increase to 68% by 2050. Wherever the world’s expats, digital nomads and remote workers choose to relocate, chances are it will be in a city.

With this in mind, Canadian consultancy film Resonance, which has offices in Vancouver, Montreal, Singapore and New York, has published its annual report ranking 100 cities with populations of over one million.

The firm’s analysis of 270 cities is now in its 10th year and is widely regarded as the most credible source of city performance.

Contrary to similar ‘best-of’ lists, Resonance’s index assesses a city’s culture, diversity, prosperity, infrastructure and employment opportunities. The data comes from a combination of core statistics from 400 global cities as well as user-generated ratings and reviews.

Methodology

To rank the performance and perception of the World’s Best Cities of 2025, Resonance analysed the principal cities with populations of more than one million people.

They determined the top 100 cities by using a combination of core statistics and user-generated data from online sources such as Google, Tripadvisor and Instagram to assess quality of place when it comes to experiential factors. The data is combined to create what Resonance call the Place Power Score. 

This was combined with data gathered from over 22,000 respondents from across 30 countries to understand the towns and cities where they would most like to live, most like to visit and where they believe the best job opportunities to be.

“The world’s urban centers are the engines of their regional and national economies and, importantly, the global economy. For centuries, they’ve been badges of human ingenuity. Yes, they’ve been hobbled this decade, exposing the long-ignored foundational and institutional problems that manifested on their streets and in their hospitals. But they’re also leading—like they always have—the recovery and future-defining next stages of innovation, livability and sustainability”

– World’s Best Cities, Resonance

The three indices include 28 subcategories that cover a range of criteria including tree cover, climate, outdoor space, education and work prospects, population diversity, leisure options and cost of rent.

London is the world’s best city

London is the best city in the world for the ninth year in a row. The ‘capital of capitals’ has taken the top spot for the 10th year in a row despite concerns surrounding the geopolitical uncertainties and economic challenges surrounding its post-Brexit future.

However, the report’s authors believe the city continues to draw talent and visitors en masse and will eventually weather the storm and even emerge stronger.

The UK capital remains one of the world’s most desirable destinations for students, foreign investors, tourists and business leaders, ranking top overall on the Lovability index. Globally, the city ranked third for international traveller spending in 2023, taking over $16.5 billion – more than any other European city.

The soft pound also played a role in making trips more affordable, while repressed demand following pandemic restrictions propelled the city’s recovery as a premier travel destination. As a result, Heathrow Airport reported its highest-ever September traffic in 2023, with more than seven million passengers arriving, exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

“London continues to set the bar for what a truly great city should be. Our iconic attractions, world-class financial sector, and fast-growing tech industry are proof of our city’s strength. But it’s the diversity of our people and ideas that drives the innovation, opportunities, and progress that shape our future. No city embodies this quite like London.”

– Laura Citron OBE, CEO of London & Partners

London is closely followed by the usual suspects of New York and Paris. New York, America’s greatest city, has moved ahead of Paris thanks to the high number of Global 500 companies located in the Big Apple as well as the city’s endless nightlife, shopping and attractions that sustain its ‘enduring allure’.

Paris is the third best city, due to its ambitious sustainability policies which have included expanding cycle routes, reducing city speed limits and tree planting as it aims to become Europe’s greenest city by 2030. Paris also has the third-most Global Fortune 500 headquarters in the world as well as a raft of booming start-ups.

Tokyo in Japan is Asia’s highest-ranked city in fourth place and the safest metropolis on the planet. Tokyo remains the economic engine of Japan – responsible for 20% of the country’s GDP – and with the second-most Global Fortune 500 companies.

The report also highlights Tokyo’s popularity with shoppers as well as the city’s relentlessly expanding foodie scene. The metropolis offers as many restaurants as the top five cities combined – more than 100,000 in total!

The city-state of Singapore has remained in the top five. It has been recognised for its prolific modern shopping malls, frequently touted as some of the world’s best.

The city has also won praise for its new cycling routes and green spaces. Traditionally known for its manicured approach to nature, recent efforts have seen the city’s cycling and hiking infrastructure improved.

Most notably, the 24km-long Rail Corridor – traversing the city from south to north along the former railway line that linked Singapore to Malaysia – is now among the city’s most popular cycling and hiking trails.

best cities in the world – complete ranking

Below you can view the complete ranking of the best cities in the world by their three key categories: livability, lovability and prosperity – AKA their Place Power Score. The final column is population.

Rank	City	Live	Love	Pros	Population
1	London, UK	3	1	2	12,434,823
2	New York, USA	2	3	1	19,908,595
3	Paris, France	1	2	3	13,114,718
4	Tokyo, Japan	4	4	6	37,785,000
5	Singapore, Singapore	8	10	5	5,926,000
6	Rome, Italy	5	5	72	4,303,821
7	Madrid, Spain	9	7	18	7,005,286
8	Barcelona, Spain	6	6	38	5,111,749
9	Berlin, Germany	35	9	7	4,979,867
10	Sydney, Australia	10	17	12	4,836,000
11	Amsterdam, Netherlands	12	14	13	2,891,907
12	San Francisco, USA	22	26	4	4,692,242
13	Dubai, UAE	60	8	8	4,945,000
14	Los Angeles, USA	34	12	10	13,111,917
15	Toronto, Canada	19	25	11	6,837,000
16	Seoul, South Korea	25	15	27	23,225,000
17	Chicago, USA	33	23	15	9,566,955
18	Vienna, Austria	7	22	59	1,960,000
19	Seattle, USA	13	50	17	4,001,701
20	Milan, Italy	11	21	74	4,961,743
21	Boston, USA	30	67	14	4,912,449
22	Vancouver, Canada	15	49	32	2,484,000
23	Miami, USA	28	19	40	6,123,949
24	Stockholm, Sweden	18	44	23	2,308,143
25	Melbourne, Australia	24	34	34	4,709,000

Rank	City	Live	Love	Pros	Population
26	Oslo, Norway	17	46	31	1,278,827
27	Munich, Germany	23	60	28	3,016,834
28	Istanbul, Türkiye	54	13	73	15,636,000
29	Las Vegas, USA	65	18	70	2,265,926
30	Helsinki, Finland	14	76	57	1,551,959
31	Atlanta, USA	43	66	26	6,094,752
32	Bangkok, Thailand	126	11	64	18,884,000
33	Prague, Czechia	69	16	79	2,259,981
34	Washington, USA	107	54	16	6,346,083
35	Montreal, Canada	92	41	20	3,750,000
36	Beijing, China	102	37	22	18,883,000
37	Orlando, USA	74	32	49	2,679,298
38	St Louis, USA	21	96	55	2,813,523
39	Portland, USA	26	78	56	2,505,312
40	Houston, USA	57	64	36	7,142,603
41	Dublin, Ireland	134	33	24	1,285,000
42	Osaka, Japan	29	29	118	14,916,000
43	Philadelphia, USA	48	74	39	6,232,894
44	Denver, USA	75	87	25	2,959,386
45	Copenhagen, Denmark	78	55	37	1,928,612
46	San Diego, USA	64	57	44	3,289,701
47	Auckland, New Zealand	16	69	99	1,537,000
48	Frankfurt, Germany	44	88	48	2,678,557
49	Zurich, Switzerland	112	70	19	1,936,563
50	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	88	47	45	9,387,000

Rank	City	Live	Love	Pros	Population
51	Minneapolis, USA	61	137	33	3,678,328
52	Ottawa, Canada	55	89	46	1,087,000
53	Austin, USA	99	73	35	2,296,377
54	Calgary, Canada	62	97	41	1,349,000
55	Dallas, USA	124	84	21	7,673,379
56	Brussels, Belgium	77	90	52	3,331,496
57	Lisbon, Portugal	42	48	114	3,013,027
58	Honolulu, USA	37	83	85	1,010,100
59	Detroit, USA	32	133	76	4,375,604
60	Kraków, Poland	46	53	109	1,423,151
61	Shanghai, China	181	43	30	24,042,000
62	San Jose, USA	121	130	29	1,981,584
63	New Orleans, USA	76	38	98	1,264,357
64	Nashville, USA	120	68	53	1,990,873
65	Edmonton, Canada	84	136	51	1,186,000
66	Salt Lake City, USA	90	163	47	1,254,675
67	Baltimore, USA	70	212	43	2,840,005
68	Bordeaux, France	31	103	132	1,363,711
69	Gothenburg, Sweden	45	152	80	1,021,831
70	Cleveland, USA	41	153	82	2,079,759
71	Valencia, Spain	38	77	124	1,768,205
72	Glasgow, UK	80	80	77	1,830,710
73	Doha, Qatar	216	204	9	2,160,000
74	Warsaw, Poland	157	58	50	3,189,533
75	Sao Paulo, Brazil	172	20	92	21,486,000

Rank	City	Live	Love	Pros	Population
76	Taipei, China	56	51	142	9,662,000
77	Tucson, USA	47	101	117	1,042,393
78	Pittsburgh, USA	91	126	65	2,365,501
79	Charlotte, USA	94	150	60	2,668,688
80	Lyon, France	52	113	96	2,280,845
81	Nagoya, Japan	27	109	156	9,439,000
82	Porto, Portugal	50	72	134	1,290,627
83	Perth, Australia	117	85	62	2,101,000
84	Bilbao, Spain	36	142	120	1,048,966
85	Cape Town, South Africa	39	61	160	4,595,000
86	Sapporo, Japan	20	108	182	2,168,000
87	Athens, Greece	149	27	123	3,154,000
88	Hamburg, Germany	137	62	69	3,421,692
89	Phoenix, USA	130	112	58	4,864,209
90	Brisbane, Australia	97	171	61	3,039,000
91	Tampa, USA	72	131	87	3,194,310
92	Naples, Italy	51	42	184	3,298,730
93	Richmond, USA	79	149	78	1,316,145
94	Birmingham, UK	113	59	103	3,097,965
95	Raleigh, USA	128	135	54	1,420,825
96	Rochester, USA	59	170	94	1,086,859
97	Hong Kong, China	82	40	167	6,468,000
98	Nantes, France	49	138	137	1,011,020
99	Toulouse, France	63	119	133	1,454,158
100	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	146	24	157	12,306,000

More rankings and articles can be found in our remote work area:

► 1,000 most liveable cities in the world
► Most dangerous countries in the world
► Countries with the best healthcare in the world
► World’s worst countries to drive in
► Best countries for women
► Happiest countries in the world
► World’s most powerful passport
► Countries with the fastest internet in the world
► Most stressed countries in the world
► Most expensive cities for expats
► World’s most democratic countries

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