World

India’s Leading Cities Lag in Quality‑of‑Life Rankings, While Canberra Tops Global List

By Sounak Mukhopadhyay

India’s top cities rank poorly on quality of life in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2026, which evaluates 1,000 cities. Although their stronger economic and human‑capital scores lift their overall positions, none of India’s top ten overall cities appear in the global top 500 for quality of life. Delhi, the highest‑ranked Indian city at 268 overall, is 781st in quality of life, 13th in human capital, 116th in economics and 915th in environment. Bengaluru follows at 311 overall, Mumbai at 330, Chennai at 381, Hyderabad at 421, Pune at 427, Thrissur, Kochi, Kolkata and Kozhikode complete the Indian top ten.

Globally, Canberra, Australia, leads the quality‑of‑life rankings, followed by Bergen, Norway, and Singapore. Other high‑ranking cities include Grenoble (France), Bern (Switzerland), Oslo (Norway), Luxembourg City (Luxembourg), Dresden (Germany), Ghent (Belgium) and Paris (France).

In the South Asia region, Singapore tops the list, Kuala Malaysia is 283rd, and Malacca, Malaysia is 321st. Other regional cities in the top 500 are Haiphong (Vietnam), Kuching (Malaysia), Bangkok (Thailand), Georgetown (Malaysia) and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam).

New York is the overall global leader, followed by London and Paris. New York also ranks first in economics, with Los Angeles second and San Jose third; all three are U.S. cities. London leads human capital, Dubai is second, and Tokyo third.

Environmental rankings are headed by Honolulu (U.S.) and Fortaleza (Brazil), with Bergen third. Governance leaders are Copenhagen and Aarhus (Denmark) at first place, and Auckland (New Zealand) third.

The varied leaders across categories illustrate the differing strengths of cities. India’s results show that strong overall positions do not guarantee high quality of life.

The article was reported by Sounak Mukhopadhyay, who covers trending news, sports and entertainment for LiveMint. His reporting focuses on fast‑moving stories, box‑office performance, digital culture and major cricket developments, combining real‑time updates with clear context for everyday readers. He brings newsroom experience across breaking news, explainers and long‑form features, emphasizing accuracy, verification and responsible storytelling. His work tracks audience behaviour, celebrity influence and the business of sport and cinema, helping readers understand why a story matters beyond the headline. He has contributed to widely read digital publications and continues to build a body of journalism shaped by consistency, speed and editorial clarity. At LiveMint, he writes daily coverage and analytical pieces that interpret numbers, trends and cultural moments in accessible language, prioritising factual depth, balanced framing and reader trust. Outside daily reporting, he explores storytelling across formats including podcasts, filmmaking and narrative non‑fiction, aiming to document the rhythms of modern entertainment and sports while maintaining rigorous editorial integrity. He continues to develop audience‑focused journalism that connects speed with substance in a rapidly changing information environment, seeking clarity, trust and lasting public value in every story he reports.