Oxford Economics released its 2026 Global Cities Index today, 16 September, and the CEE results are unusually positive: Warsaw rose 109 places, while Bratislava and Sofia also made large gains; Prague ranks 51st and is the highest-ranked CEE city.
Oxford Economics expects Prague, Warsaw and Tallinn to be among Europe’s stronger economic-growth cities in coming years.
The 2026 update of the Global Cities Index reflects the latest assessment of the structural advantages, opportunities, and challenges facing cities. Bringing together five categories, Economics, Human Capital, Quality of Life, Environment, and Governance, the index embeds a thorough assessment of each city’s standing in the global landscape.
New York and London remain at the pinnacle, largely due to the size of their economies and the strength of their labour market (Chart 1). Paris rounds off an unchanged top three from last year, performing particularly well on quality-of-life measures. Indeed, eight of the top 10 are unchanged from last year, with Seattle, San Francisco, Dublin, Boston, San Jose, Tokyo, and Zurich making up the remaining spots. The enduring strength of these global leaders highlights the resilience and self-reinforcing nature of success among cities at the very top of our index.
Central and Eastern Europe cities deliver some of the largest improvements in the index. Strong economic and income growth has been central to these developments, capping off over two decades of transformation since the ascension into the European Union. Warsaw rose 109 places since last year, as it moved closer to the top 50, while Bratislava and Sofia also delivered huge increases. Prague is the highest-ranked city in the region, placing 51st this year. Our current projections suggest cities like Prague, Warsaw, and Tallinn will top European economic growth rankings in the coming years, helping them close the gap on their Western peers.olitical upheaval failing to fundamentally alter the nature of what makes these superstar cities attractive places to live and work.
