Copenhagen – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Copenhagen projects the image of a sustainable cyclists’ haven that is tolerant and progressive. But how does the capital of Denmark fare in the different rankings and indices that study the world’s top cities in terms of sustainability, brand strength and reputation?

Let’s take a closer look at:

• Copenhagen’s competitiveness and financial performance
• Its brand strength and global attractiveness
• Livability: how attractive for talent, visitors locals?

Economic competitiveness and financial performance

How attractive is Copenhagen as a place to work and do business? 

The Global Financial Centres Index 34 ranks Copenhagen 31^st, dropping seven positions from the previous ranking. It currently sits between Toronto (30^th) and Qingdao (32^nd). It also ranked very well in the Fintech (10^th) industry sector – and holds the 11^th position in the Western European region.

According to 2thinknow’s Innovation Cities Index 2022-2023 Copenhagen ranks 30^th, a jump of 24 positions from the previous ranking. The city now sits in between Vancouver (29^th) and Miami (31^st).

City brand strength and global attractiveness

Resonance’s 2023 World’s Best Cities Report ranks Copenhagen 41^st, scoring the following in Place Power Highlights: 25^th in Labour Force Participation and 22^nd for Universities. It currently sits just behind Warsaw (40^th), and above Taipei (42^nd).

Kearney’s 2023 Global Cities Report ranks Copenhagen 41^st, a jump of one position from the previous ranking, sitting right behind Stockholm (40^th), and above Seattle (42^nd). Also, the city ranks 2^nd in the Global Cities Outlook, a jump of six positions since the previous ranking.

The Global Power City Index ranks Copenhagen 11^th. In terms of function-specific rankings, the city fares 19^th in terms of Economy, 28^th in R&D, 33^rd in Cultural Interaction, 15^th in Livability, 2^nd in Environment, and 10^th in Accessibility. Copenhagen ranks 10^th for Average Driving Speed. Lastly, Copenhagen positioned 8^th in the Highly-skilled Workers, 9^th in the Corporate Executive, 8^th in the Resident, and 18^th in the Tourism categories.

According to Brand Finance’s City Index 2023, Copenhagen ranks 31^st globally, with a score of 70/100, now sitting in between Stockholm (30^th) and Seattle (32^nd).

Livability: how attractive as place to live, work and study?

The Mercer Quality of Living City Ranking places Copenhagen 4^th, sitting right behind Auckland in New Zealand (3^rd) and above Geneva (5^th). The Mercer Cost of Living Ranking ranks it 9^th, just behind Tel Aviv (8^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, Copenhagen ranks 46^th out of 56 global cities. It currently sits between Zurich (45^th) and Milan (47^th).

The Arcadis Sustainability City Index 2022 ranks Copenhagen 4^th overall, sitting in between Tokyo (3^rd) and Berlin (5^th). Its pillar-specific rankings are the following: Planet 4^th, People 3^rd, and Profit 42^nd.

Last updated in January 2024. Explore more city benchmarking insights, profiles and reports in our City Observatory.

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