
A new report ranks the top 1,000 ‘global cities'. Does Hamilton make the list?
That's according to a new ranking of 1,000 global cities released Thursday by
Oxford Economics
.
The global economic advisory firm bases its
Global Cities Index 2025 report
on five factors — economics, quality of life, environment, governance and human capital, which includes age, education and growth of a population.
According to the company, the rankings consider not only the city's economic performance, but also how well-educated it is, the well-being of its residents, the volatility of its climate, any political risks facing the city, and more.
The index covers the 1,000 largest cities in the world, which are located in 163 countries.
The 2025 rankings have been heavily impacted by tariffs and trade wars, according to the company.
'Trade tensions and deglobalization are causing considerable headwinds to economic growth worldwide, potentially triggering substantial shifts in supply chains and the way countries do business with each other over the coming years.'
Of the 1,000 ranked cities, Hamilton ranked 457th in economics, 256th in human capital, 193rd in quality of life, 306th in environment — and 27th in governance.
Hamilton's ranking placed the city just behind Toledo, Ohio and Verona, Italy — but ahead of Mexico City, Athens and New Orleans.
New York, London and Paris topped the list, while
Toronto was the top-ranked Canadian city
at No. 20.
Hamilton was the lowest ranked Canadian city in 2025. In the 2024 rankings,
Hamilton ranked 120th
— 10th of the 11 Canadian cities on the list.
Here are the rankings of the Canadian cities in the 2025 index:
20. Toronto
37. Vancouver
43. Montreal
61. Calgary
88. Ottawa
116. Quebec City
131. Edmonton
143. Halifax
163. Kitchener-Waterloo
183. Winnipeg
248. Hamilton

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