London – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

London: how does UK‘s capital and financial hub – and one of the world’s most influential cities – perform in global rankings on livability and sustainability, economic competitiveness, city brand strength and reputation?

Let’s take a closer look at:

• London’s economic competitiveness and financial performance
• Its city brand strength and global reputation
• How appealing for talent, investors, visitors and locals?

Economic Competitiveness

The Global Financial Centres Index 34 ranks London 2^nd globally and continues to lead in the Europe region. It is currently sitting between New York City (1^st) and Singapore (3^rd). London ranks as follows in areas of competitiveness: 2^nd in Human Capital, 2^nd for Reputational & General, 3^rd for Business Environment, 3^rd for Infrastructure, and 3^rd for Financial Sector Development. It performs very well in the following industry sectors: Investment Management (2^nd), Insurance (2^nd), Government & Regulatory (2^nd), Finance (2^nd), Fintech (2^nd), Professional Services (3^rd), Trading (4^th), and Banking (5^th).

According to 2thinknow’s Innovation Cities Index 2022-2023, London ranks 2^nd, a jump of nine positions from the previous ranking. The city now sits right behind Tokyo (1^st) and New York (3^rd).

City Brand Strength and Reputation

According to Brand Finance’s City Index 2023, London ranks 1^st in the global ranking with a score of 84.6/100. It ranked as the world’s best city to study in and to visit, with a strong third position for strong identity and character.

Resonance’s 2023 World’s Best Cities Report ranks London 1^st, scoring the following in the Place Power Score subfactors: 3^rd in Prosperity, 1^st in Lovability, and 1^st in Livability. It also ranks first for the following Place Power Highlights: Culture and Educational Attainment.

Kearney’s 2023 Global Cities Report continues to rank London 2^nd, sitting right below New York City. Moreover, the city ranks 3^rd in the Global Cities Outlook, a drop of two positions since the previous ranking.

The Global Power City Index ranks London 1^st. In terms of function-specific rankings, the city ranks 2^nd in terms of Economy, 2^nd in R&D, 1st in Cultural Interaction, 9^th in Livability, 11^th in Environment, and 4^th in Accessibility. London ranks 1^st in Variety of Work Place Options, 9^th in Winners of Prizes in Science and Technology, 1^st for Nightlife Options, and 11^th for Urban Greenery. Lastly, London positioned 1^st in terms of reputation among Highly-skilled Workers, 1^st among Corporate Executives, 11^th among Residents, and 1^st among Tourists.

How Appealing as a Place to Live, Work and Study?

The Mercer Quality of Living City Ranking places London 45^th, sitting between Milan (44^th) and Madrid (46^th). The Mercer Cost of Living Ranking ranks it 17^th behind Seoul (16^th), and above Dubai (18^th). The cost of living survey reports that factors such as currency fluctuations, cost inflation for goods and services, and instability of accommodation prices are key to determining the cost of expat packages for employees on international assignment.

According to the Best Urban Cities for Digital Nomads ranking by Spot a Home, London ranks 38^th out of 56 global cities. It currently sits between Warsaw (37^th) and Frankfurt (39^th).

Lastly, London is home to some of the best universities in the world. According to The Times Higher Education ranking, Imperial College ranks 8^th, University College London 22^nd, King’s College London ranks 38^th, and the London School of Economics ranks 46^th.

The QS World University ranking ranks Imperial College 6^th, University College London 9^th, King’s College London 40^th, and the London School of Economics 45^th.

Urban Sustainability

The Arcadis Sustainability City Index 2022 ranks London 6^th overall, sitting between Berlin (5^th) and Seattle (7^th). Its pillar rankings are the following: Planet 6^th, People 22^nd, Profit 23^rd. Its main strengths are transport, health, Wi-Fi, and work-life balance; however, crime is an area which could be improved.

Last updated in January 2024. More city profiles here.

Enjoyed our summary of global rankings and indices on London’s economic performance, its sustainability, attractiveness for talent and investors, its city brand strength and reputation? Thanks for sharing!

Disclaimer: The information in this article is intended to provide a general overview of London’s economic and cultural landscape and facilitate comparison over time. While we strive for accuracy and completeness, we are not responsible for any typographical errors or inaccuracies. The data is provided ‘as is’ without warranty of any kind. Users should verify any information before relying on it for decision-making purposes.