Berlin – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Ever since the reunification, Berlin has been a mecca of the alternative art world, offering a great variety of scenarios and opportunities for the creatives. Apart from that, it is also a start-up haven and the capital of Germany, and as such a political heavy-weight.

But what do leading city rankings have to say about Berlin regarding its economic and urban sustainability performance, its city brand strength and reputation?

Let’s take a closer look at:

• Economic competitiveness and financial performance
• Livability: Berlin’s appeal for talent, visitors, locals
• Its city brand strength and reputation

Economic competitiveness and financial performance

The Global Financial Centres Index 34 ranks Berlin 23^rd, jumping three positions from the previous ranking. It currently sits between Sydney (22^nd) and Miami (24^th) – performing especially well in the Fintech (14^th) and Finance (15^th) industry sectors. Berlin holds the 8^th place in the Western European region, closely tied with Amsterdam and Dublin.

According to 2thinknow’s Innovation Cities Index 2022-2023 Berlin ranks 11^th, an impressive jump of 20 positions from the previous ranking, new between Houston (10^th) and Chicago (12^th).

City brand strength and reputation

Resonance’s 2023 World’s Best Cities Report ranks Berlin 14^th, scoring 5^th in Museums, and 6^th in Nightlife. It currently sits in between Madrid (13^th) and Los Angeles (15^th).

Kearney’s 2023 Global Cities Report ranks Berlin 16^th, falling two positions compared to last years’ publication. It still ranks in the top 25 for Global Cities Outlook, positioning 21^st but experienced a drop of 9 positions since the previous ranking.

The Global Power City Index ranks Berlin a strong 10^th. In terms of specific areas, the city ranks 29^th in Economy, 17^th in R&D, 10th in Cultural Interaction, 6^th in Livability, 9^th in Environment, and 23^rd in Accessibility. Admirably, Berlin ranks 2^nd in Urban Greenery and 8^th for Nightlife Options. Lastly, Berlin positioned 10^th in terms of appeal to highly-skilled workers, 27^th among corporate executives, 7^th among residents, and 11^th among visitors.

According to Brand Finance’s City Index 2023, Berlin ranks 18^th globally, with a score of 71.8/100, sitting in between Zurich (17^th) and Milan (19^th).

Livability

The Mercer Quality of Living City Ranking places Berlin 18^th, whereas the same company’s Cost of Living Ranking puts Berlin 37^th, behind Paris (35^th) and Guangzhou, China (36^th). The cost living survey reports that factors such as currency fluctuations, cost inflation for goods and services, and instability of accommodation prices are key to determine the cost of expat packages for employees on international assignment.

According to the Best Urban Cities for Digital Nomads ranking by Spot a Home, Berlin ranks 21^st out of 56 cities globally. It currently sits between Melbourne (20^th) and Vienna (22^nd).

The Arcadis Sustainability City Index 2022 ranks Berlin a very strong 5^th overall, sitting in between Copenhagen (4^th) and London (6^th). Berlin’s specific ranks are Planet 5^th, People 11^th, Profit 33^rd. The city scores highest for green spaces and environmental exposure. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is still a challenge.

Lastly, Berlin is home to some of the best universities in the world. According to The Times Higher Education ranking, Humboldt University ranks 87^th and Charité – Universitätsmedizin 94^th. The QS World University ranking does not rank the aforementioned universities in the top 100, however it positions Freie Universität 98^th.

Last updated in January 2024. More city profiles here.

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