Vienna – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Vienna, the capital of Austria, is well known for its baroque architecture and musical heritage, among many other highlights. But how well does it perform in rankings that measure economic performance and urban sustainability, appeal to talent and investors, as well as city brand strength and reputation?

Let’s take a closer look at:

• Vienna’s economic competitiveness and financial performance
• Its city brand strength and global reputation
• Livability: how appealing for talent, visitors, locals?

Economic Competitiveness and Financial Performance

The Global Financial Centres Index 34 ranks Vienna 61^st, falling ten positions from the previous ranking. According to 2thinknow’s Innovation Cities Index 2022-2023, Vienna ranks 17^th, a jump of 5 positions from the previous ranking. The city now sits between Munich (16^th) and Sydney (18^th).

City Brand Strength and Reputation

According to Brand Finance’s City Index 2023, Vienna ranks 24^th in the global ranking with a score of 70.7/100, sitting between Madrid (23^rd) and Vancouver (25^th).

Resonance’s 2023 World’s Best Cities Report ranks Vienna 21^st, scoring 3^rd in Biking, and 11^th in Google Search. It currently sits between Dublin (20^th) and Milan (22^nd).

Kearney’s 2023 Global Cities Report ranks Vienna 29^th, jumping one position compared to last year’s publication. It ranks 30^th in the same firm’s Global Cities Outlook, where last year it held the 24^th position.

The Global Power City Index ranks Vienna a strong 13^th. In terms of function-specific rankings, the city fares 32^nd in Economy, 29^th in R&D, 18^th in Cultural Interaction, 5^th in Livability, 5^th in Environment, and 11^th in Accessibility.

Admirably, Vienna ranks 7^th in terms of Urban Greenery. It is particularly popular among residents (1^st) and visitors (12^th), closely followed by highly-skilled workers (14^th).

Livability: How Attractive as a Place to Live, Work, and Study?

The Mercer Quality of Living City Ranking places Vienna 1^st, which reflects the strong appeal to locals as attested by the Global Power Cities Index featured earlier. Mercer’s Cost of Living Ranking puts Vienna 25^th, between Chicago (24^th) and Bangui (26^th).

According to the Best Urban Cities for Digital Nomads ranking by Spot a Home, Vienna ranks 22^nd out of 56 global cities. It currently sits between Dublin (21^st) and Buenos Aires (23^rd).

Urban Sustainability

The Arcadis Sustainability City Index 2022 ranks Vienna 23^rd overall, sitting between Boston (22^nd) and Montreal (24^th). Its sustainability pillar rankings are the following: Planet 23^rd, People 6^th, and Profit 56^th. Its strengths are affordability and connectivity. Economic development, employment, green finance, and job quality are areas that could be improved, according to the study.

Last updated in January 2024. Explore more city profiles in our City Observatory.

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Disclaimer: The information in this article is intended to provide a general overview of Vienna’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.