Athens Earns a Spot in the 2025 World’s Best Cities Ranking

As major cities around the world compete for talent, investment, and cultural impact, Athens stands out in the 2025 World’s Best Cities report, a comprehensive ranking highlighting the places shaping the future of urban life.

The list, developed by Resonance Consultancy through extensive data modeling and global surveys, focuses on cities that excel in lifestyle factors, cultural influence, and economic promise. Athens appears at No. 74 this year, reflecting its continued appeal as a place to live, work, and explore.

In this year’s edition, Athens claims the 74th position, joining the list of cities that people would be most inclined to live in, work in, and explore.

A closer look at the evaluation criteria

More than 270 international cities with populations exceeding one million were analyzed, according to Forbes. The evaluation draws on hundreds of metrics that reflect a city’s overall appeal—ranging from airport infrastructure and urban amenities to nightlife, cultural offerings, environmental performance, corporate presence, and economic development. Online popularity and social media trends were also part of the assessment.

This year’s database was broadened significantly, incorporating 21,000 survey responses from residents across 30 countries. For the first time, the methodology also included data from major Chinese platforms such as Weibo and Xiaohongshu to better capture local patterns and sentiment.

Cities are ranked by the Place Power Score, which measures performance across three primary dimensions:

• Livability: air quality, walkability, health factors, and general living standards

• Lovability: cultural institutions, entertainment options, and digital popularity on platforms like Google Trends and TikTok

• Prosperity: economic strength, major companies, employment levels, and entrepreneurship

London maintains its lead for the 11th year

London retains the No. 1 position globally. It ranks first for both major companies and airport connectivity and continues to score strongly across prosperity, cultural appeal, and overall lifestyle quality.

The British capital’s recovery since the pandemic has been robust. International visitor spending reached $22 billion in 2024, surpassing New York and Dubai. London also remains a powerhouse in technology and gastronomy, boasting record numbers of Michelin-starred restaurants, while continuing to attract U.S. buyers in both residential and commercial real estate.

New York Rises to No. 2 as Athens Secures the 74th Spot in the Best Cities Ranking

New York climbs to the No. 2 spot, overtaking Paris. Its strengths include economic performance and world-leading cultural institutions, particularly in theater, concerts, and museums.

Major infrastructure upgrades from revamped airports to new public green spaces—are reshaping the city for the next decade.

The remaining cities in the top five

The global Top 5 is rounded out by:

• Paris: a city benefiting from large-scale investment ahead of the Olympic Games and a tourism economy projected to reach $50 billion by 2032

• Tokyo: known for safety, culinary excellence, and sophisticated urban planning, with tourism numbers at historic highs

• Madrid: jumping from 13th to 5th place thanks to sustainable redevelopment and revitalized parks and public spaces

Performance of US  cities

Apart from New York, only Los Angeles places within the Top 20, landing at No. 12. Other notable US entries include:

• Miami (26)

• San Francisco (28)

• Chicago (35)

• Denver, Austin, and Baltimore (all within the top 100)

Despite the continued economic influence of U.S. metropolitan areas, the study notes waning global interest in visiting them—a shift linked by Ipsos to declining trust in American brands.

Asia’s strong momentum

Asian cities are rapidly gaining influence, fueled by surging post-pandemic tourism and large-scale development. Key performers in the Top 20 include:

• Tokyo (4)

• Singapore (6)

• Sydney (11)

• Seoul (13)

• Beijing (15)

• Shanghai (16)

• Hong Kong (19)

Istanbul completes the Top 20, reflecting the region’s expanding appeal.

The world’s top 100 cities in 2025

1. London, United Kingdom

2. New York, United States

3. Paris, France

4. Tokyo, Japan

5. Madrid, Spain

6. Singapore

7. Rome, Italy

8. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

9. Berlin, Germany

10. Barcelona, Spain

11. Sydney, Australia

12. Los Angeles, United States

13. Seoul, South Korea

14. Amsterdam, Netherlands

15. Beijing, China

16. Shanghai, China

17. Toronto, Canada

18. São Paulo, Brazil

19. Hong Kong, China

20. Istanbul, Turkey

21. Melbourne, Australia

22. Bangkok, Thailand

23. Osaka, Japan

24. Oslo, Norway

25. Stockholm, Sweden

26. Miami, United States

27. Vienna, Austria

28. San Francisco, United States

29. Bengaluru, India

30. Mexico City, Mexico

31. Munich, Germany

32. Dublin, Ireland

33. Copenhagen, Denmark

34. Zurich, Switzerland

35. Chicago, United States

36. Milan, Italy

37. Lisbon, Portugal

38. Prague, Czechia

39. Buenos Aires, Argentina

40. Mumbai, India

41. Vancouver, Canada

42. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

43. Warsaw, Poland

44. Hamburg, Germany

45. Shenzhen, China

46. Montreal, Canada

47. Budapest, Hungary

48. Brussels, Belgium

49. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

50. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

51. Bogotá, Colombia

52. Guangzhou, China

53. Jakarta, Indonesia

54. Delhi, India

55. Las Vegas, United States

56. Boston, United States

57. Washington, United States

58. Houston, United States

59. Auckland, New Zealand

60. San Jose, United States

61. Helsinki, Finland

62. Orlando, United States

63. Taipei, Taiwan

64. Frankfurt, Germany

65. Lima, Peru

66. Atlanta, United States

67. Seattle, United States

68. Perth, Australia

69. Manchester, United Kingdom

70. Cape Town, South Africa

71. Krakow, Poland

72. Valencia, Spain

73. Ottawa, Canada

74. Athens, Greece

75. Santiago, Chile

76. Medellín, Colombia

77. Cologne, Germany

78. Dallas, United States

79. Brisbane, Australia

80. Hangzhou, China

81. San Diego, United States

82. Hyderabad, India

83. Chengdu, China

84. Denver, United States

85. Calgary, Canada

86. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

87. Austin, United States

88. Philadelphia, United States

89. Baltimore, United States

90. Stuttgart, Germany

91. Rotterdam, Netherlands

92. Lyon, France

93. Ruhr, Germany

94. Busan, South Korea

95. Düsseldorf, Germany

96. Mecca, Saudi Arabia

97. Porto, Portugal

98. Bucharest, Romania

99. Birmingham, United Kingdom

100. Doha, Qatar