This is the only Asian city in global top 20
Japan's capital Tokyo is the only Asian city to rank among the world's 20 highest-performing cities in 2026, placing ninth globally in Oxford Economics's Global Cities Index.
Oxford Economics has named Tokyo as the only Asian city in the global top 20, according to its latest assessment of the world's 1,000 largest cities. The ranking takes into account five categories: economics, human capital, quality of life, environment, and governance. Tokyo scored 89.5 out of 100 overall, earning high marks in each area.
In economics, it achieved 69.7, human capital 92.9, quality of life 80.1, environment 66.3, and governance 92.3. Tokyo's strong performance is attributed to its status as a vital financial center and its position among the world's three largest cities by GDP. New York leads with a GDP of $2.6 trillion, followed by Tokyo at $1.5 trillion, and Los Angeles at approximately $1.4 trillion.
Despite concerns about Japan's aging population, Tokyo maintains one of the world's largest populations and a relatively young demographic profile. The city's high scores in human capital, driven by a large, educated population, have attracted numerous companies. Among Asian cities, Tokyo ranks first, with Singapore at 29th, Seoul at 38th, Taipei at 48th, Kuala Lumpur at 65th, and Osaka-Kyoto at 83rd.
Written by urgent.news from VnExpress International's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
