Thrissur leads Kerala in the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index

Thrissur is known as the cultural capital of Kerala. (Photo File)

Thrissur has emerged as the top-ranked city in Kerala in the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index, which ranks 1,000 cities in 163 countries on key urban performance indicators.

The global ranking, prepared by Oxford Economics, ranks cities according to five main parameters – economy, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. Seven cities from Kerala – Thrissur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam and Kannur – found a place in the index.

Thrissur secured the seventh position among Indian cities, behind Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune. There are a total of 90 Indian cities in the global index.

Delhi, ranked 268th globally, is the highest Indian city.

A significant shift

The latest ranking marks a significant shift for Keralam. In the 2024 edition, Kochi was the highest ranked city in the state with Thrissur second. This time, Thrissur moved to the top, helped by its performance in areas such as quality of life, environmental sustainability and economic conditions.

The index compares cities around the world to provide a broad assessment of their economic and social performance and liveability.

At the global level, New York in the United States retained the top spot for the second year in a row. London, UK and Paris, France secured second and third place respectively.

Published – 18 Sep 2026 18:21 IST