Global Cities Index 2026: Delhi Leads India, Kerala Leads on Quality of Life

The Global Cities Index 2026 puts Delhi at 268th in the world, making it India’s highest ranked city. Meanwhile, Kerala’s Kottayam records the best quality of life rank of any Indian city at 475th. Delhi also ranks 13th in the world for human capital, the strongest result for any Indian city in any category. But no Indian city reaches the global top 100. In fact, Delhi sits 781st on quality of life and 915th on environment. However, a viral reel on the ranking gets several facts wrong. Here is what the report actually says, city by city.

Global Cities Index 2026: What the Ranking Measures

The Global Cities Index 2026 ranks the world’s 1,000 largest cities across five categories: Economics (30%), Human Capital (25%), Quality of Life (25%), Environment (10%) and Governance (10%). New York leads the world, followed by London and Paris. Delhi, at 268th, is India’s best placed city.

Oxford Economics first published the index in 2024. The 2026 update was released in September 2026. It covers the 1,000 largest cities across 163 countries, comparing functional urban areas rather than municipal boundaries alone, commuting zones included.

Each category, however, measures something different. For example, Economics covers size, growth, stability, GDP per person and employment growth. Similarly, Human Capital covers universities, talent and headquarters. Quality of Life covers culture, life expectancy, crime, income equality and housing costs. Environment covers air quality, emissions and climate risk. Governance is assessed nationally, so every Indian city carries the same Governance rank of 415th.

Global Cities Index 2026: Delhi Leads India on Economics and Talent

Moreover, Delhi’s lead is built on economics and talent, and it is five places higher than a year earlier. In fact, its Economics rank of 116th is the best of any Indian city, ahead of Mumbai at 170th and Bengaluru at 176th. Its standout result, however, is Human Capital, where Delhi ranks 13th in the world, ahead of Toronto, Seoul and Beijing. That is no surprise for a city hosting the national government, major headquarters and large universities.

Delhi is the world’s 63rd largest city economy. Oxford Economics projects it will add $1.8 trillion in GDP between 2025 and 2050, rising to 14th in the world with output above $2 trillion. That growth is why Delhi keeps pulling in finance, consulting and corporate roles.

The other side, however, is blunt. For example, Quality of Life is 781st and Environment is 915th out of 1,000, with Delhi recording the second worst air quality score in the index. Therefore, a CA moving to Delhi should go in with eyes open about the air, the commute and housing costs. The city is far better at creating work than at making daily life easy.

Global Cities Index 2026: Kerala Cities Lead India on Quality of Life

While Delhi wins on economics and talent, Kerala wins on living. Kottayam, at 475th in the world on Quality of Life, holds the best quality of life rank of any Indian city. Kollam follows at 533rd and Thrissur at 584th, so the top three Indian cities on this measure are all in Kerala.

In total, seven Kerala cities appear in the index. Thrissur leads the state at 477th, followed by Kochi at 489th and Kozhikode at 499th, with three Kerala cities inside the global top 500. What lifts them, however, is not economic size. Thrissur’s Economics rank is only 334th and Kottayam’s is 807th. Instead, they score on cleaner air, lower housing costs, better life expectancy and lower crime.

Honesty, however, still matters. Kottayam’s 475th is the best India manages, but only around the middle of the world table. Canberra leads the Quality of Life category and Singapore is third. Overall, Kerala’s cities are the best in India for quality of life, not the best in the world, and the gap to the global leaders is real.

Indian Cities Ranked: Overall and by Category

The table lists India’s top ten cities in the Global Cities Index 2026, plus the remaining Kerala cities.

City	Overall	Economics	Human Capital	Quality of Life	Environment
Delhi	268	116	13	781	915
Bengaluru	311	176	106	775	528
Mumbai	330	170	77	817	782
Chennai	381	263	122	854	633
Hyderabad	421	248	241	818	657
Pune	427	297	139	853	731
Thrissur	477	334	611	584	468
Kochi	489	404	419	701	607
Kolkata	496	245	305	843	854
Kozhikode	499	407	456	710	570
Kollam	623	453	922	533	518
Thiruvananthapuram	624	556	787	671	489
Kottayam	696	807	865	475	540
Kannur	772	843	876	711	531

Overall, the big metros are strong on Economics and Human Capital and weak on Quality of Life and Environment, with Bengaluru a partial exception on Environment at 528th. The Kerala cities reverse the pattern, with modest economics but Quality of Life and Environment ranks far ahead of the metros. In total, 91 Indian cities appear in the index, third behind China and the United States.

What the Viral Reel Got Wrong

The reel about the Global Cities Index 2026 needs six corrections. First, the index has five categories, not four. Governance, worth 10%, is the fifth, and leaving it out therefore understates how much of a city’s result is decided nationally.

Second, on Economics Delhi is first in India at 116th and Mumbai second at 170th, not the other way round as the reel says.

Third, Bengaluru does not beat every other Indian city on combined benchmarks. Delhi ranks 268th overall and Bengaluru 311th. Bengaluru is still notable: for example, the report profiles it as an Asia Pacific City to Watch and the fifth-fastest-growing city to 2030. That is a growth story, not an overall lead.

Fourth, the global top three is New York, London and Paris. Tokyo is ninth, not third as the reel says. Fifth, Delhi’s Quality of Life is not the worst among major Indian cities. Delhi ranks 781st, beating Mumbai at 817th, Hyderabad at 818th, Chennai at 854th and Pune at 853rd. In fact, Delhi’s real problem is Environment at 915th, driven by air quality.

Sixth, the reel names Thrissur, Kochi and Kozhikode as Kerala’s quality of life leaders. The state claim is right, but the city names are not. Kottayam at 475th and Kollam at 533rd lead India, ahead of Thrissur at 584th. Kochi and Kozhikode, at 701st and 710th, sit behind Thiruvananthapuram at 671st in Kerala.

How a Young CA Should Use This Ranking

First, use the ranking as a map of trade-offs, not a league table of salaries. Economics measures the size, growth, stability and diversity of a city’s economy, not pay. In other words, a high Economics rank does not mean a high starting salary for a fresher. It signals where employers, clients and deals are concentrated. On that measure Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru lead India by a wide margin.

Next, match the city to the role. Delhi suits government, public sector and corporate work. Mumbai remains the financial capital for banking and markets. Bengaluru suits technology, startups and capability centres. In fact, the report expects it to stay among the world’s fastest growing cities to 2030. Hyderabad, 421st overall, is the city to watch for growth without the top metro price tag.

Weigh the Rest of Life

Then weigh the rest of life. For example, a city that ranks 781st on Quality of Life and 915th on Environment will tax your health and time every day, whatever the salary. If hybrid roles keep spreading, a CA can pair a metro salary with a smaller city cost base. So the Quality of Life ranks are the right place to start.

For the latest openings across these cities, see the Jobs hub. Final year students weighing campus offers should read the ICAI campus placement guide before picking a city on a headline salary alone.

In short, the bottom line is simple. Delhi is India’s strongest city for economics and talent, with the biggest growth story to 2050. Meanwhile, Kerala’s cities are India’s best for quality of life, led by Kottayam, Kollam and Thrissur. Neither fact alone should decide where you build your career. Take the opportunity where it is deepest. Protect the quality of life where it is cheapest.

Thank you to CA Anshul Karwa, Karwa & Associates, for flagging this update. Source: Oxford Economics, Global Cities Index 2026.