World's best cities revealed and SEVEN in the UK make the list
Plus, some handy tips from locals on tips and where to visit
SUPER CITY World's best cities revealed and SEVEN in the UK make the list
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
A NEW study has named seven UK cities as being among the best in the world.
Oxford Economics has looked at lots of factors when evaluating what makes a city great for its Global Cities Index 2025, and many in the UK tick those boxes - including Cambridge and Leeds.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
5
Seven UK cities, including Glasgow, have been named among the world's best
Credit: Alamy
5
London came in second place just below New York City
Credit: Alamy
To evaluate cities around the world, Oxford Economics assessed factors like economics, human capital, governance, quality of life and environment.
The top UK city in the study was London which came in second place out of 100 cities, losing out to New York.
The publication said that London "may fit the definition of 'Global City' more than anywhere else in the world."
It called London the world's leading city for human capital due to its number of leading universities and diverse workforce.
The high ranking of London isn't a surprise, but there are lots of other UK cities which also made the cut which weren't so expected.
The capital of Scotland made an appearance on the list at number 57.
Edinburgh received an overall score of 75.4 - it's highest rating was for environment which was 93.9 out of a possible 100.
The next UK city is Bristol which came in at number 68.
The city in the South West of England that's built around the River Avon and is the birthplace of street artist, Banksy, received its highest score for governance.
One Sun Writer took a visit to Bristol where they discovered 'top-notch' cuisine and wandered around historic pubs.
Historic UK city undergoing huge multi-million revamp
Leeds came in 83rd place, between Italy's Milan at 82, and The Hague in the Netherlands, at 84.
The city in Yorkshire is known for its shopping, food and drink scene as and sporting history.
Also on the list was the southern city of Cambridge where tourists enjoy punting and tours around the famous colleges.
Cambridge was the 86th city on the list, receiving an overall score of 72.1 with a score of 80.4 out of 100 for quality of life for the locals.
One Sun Writer, who is also a Cambridge local, has described the city as the "perfect place to live" and has given her tips on when to visit and what to do.
5
Colourful Bristol was number 68
Credit: Alamy
5
Cambridge came in at number 86 out of the top 100 worldwide cities
Credit: Alamy
Glasgow came in 90th place between Richmond in the United States and Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
And the final UK city on the top 100 list was Manchester which came in at number 93 above the likes of Tampa and Dusseldorf.
One Sun Travel writer lives in Manchester and believes it's one of the best cities praising the music, restaurant scene, sports and nightlife.
There's lots more to the city than meets the eye from little-known neighbourhoods to new food spots.
Here are Time Out's best cities in the world for 2025.
Plus, Europe's ten cheapest city breaks for 2025 from Riga to Warsaw and Lisbon.
The Top 20 Cities In The World By Oxford Economics New York London Paris San Jose Seattle Melbourne Sydney Boston Tokyo San Francisco Los Angeles Washington, DC Dublin Stockholm Seoul Zurich Oslo Copenhagen Dallas Toronto
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
UK could face up to £30bn of tax rises to fund defence spending boost, economist says
Rachel Reeves could be forced to raise up to £30bn through tax rises or funding cuts as the chancellor seeks to meet Labour's pledge to boost defence spending, an economist has claimed. The government has promised to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027, and has an 'ambition' – but no firm commitment – to raise it to 3 per cent in the next parliament, after 2029. But the UK's Nato allies are expected also to push for a fresh target of 3.5 per cent, with the alliance's chief Mark Rutte pushing for a 'dramatic increase', with discussions over a possible 5 per cent target – as called for by Donald Trump – also taking place. And Sir Keir Starmer this week vowed to make Britain 'a battle-ready, armour-clad nation' as a long-awaited defence review called for major upgrades to the UK's military. While the major proposals were based around Labour's current spending pledges for 2027 and the next parliament, the report warned that 'as we live in such turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster' on increasing the UK's defence capabilities. Michael Saunders, a senior economic adviser at the Oxford Economics consultancy, suggested that the government could take steps towards this in the chancellor's next Budget. 'To establish a more credible path to defence spending 'considerably north of 3 per cent' next decade, the government may decide in the autumn Budget that it needs to add some extra spending within the five-year OBR forecast horizon,' said Mr Saunders. 'It's not hard to see pressures for extra fiscal tightening of £15bn to £30bn,' he told The Telegraph. Fiscal tightening involves either raising taxes or cutting government spending. Earlier this week, Paul Johnson, the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), also warned the only way to pay for the increased defence budget would be through 'chunky tax rises' as the government grapples with other key areas of public spending. He told Times Radio: 'You really do have to ask that question, what are the choices that you're going to make? Bluntly, it really does seem to me that the only choice that is available, is some really quite chunky tax increases to pay for it.' According to the IFS, hitting the 3 per target by 2030 would require an extra £17bn pounds between now and then which is yet to be accounted for. Sir Keir has previously said that increasing defence spending to 2.5 per cent would mean 'spending £13.4bn more on defence every year from 2027'. The Office for Budget Responsibility has also estimated that reaching 3 per cent by the next parliament would cost an additional £17.3bn in 2029/30. Speaking in parliament as the defence review was unveiled this week, Lib Dem defence spokesperson Helen Maguire said: 'It is staggering that we still don't have an answer to the vital question: 'Where is the money coming from?' The government has flip-flopped a number of times on 3 per cent.' On Tuesday, defence secretary John Healey failed to rule out tax rises to make Britain 'war ready' and insisted he was '100 per cent confident' the 3 per cent target would be met — but struggled to say how it would be paid for. It came as defence sources were reported to expect that Britain will be forced to sign up to a target to hike defence spending to 3.5 per cent by 2035 at a Nato summit later this month in a bid to appease the US president.
Scottish Sun
10 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Major update as Scottish university gets set to axe 300 full-time jobs
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A TOP university has revealed a major update in its plan to axe 300 full-time jobs. Dundee University has now opened a voluntary redundancy scheme after coming up with an "alternative pathway" to solving the financial crisis at the institution. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Around 300 roles will now be cut at the uni through a voluntary programme Credit: Alamy 3 Students and staff taking part in a rally and march in Dundee after the job cuts announcement Credit: PA In March, we told how the uni estimated that 700 staff would be affected by a devastating job cull required to balance its books. But under new proposals last month, around 300 roles will now be cut through a voluntary programme. The scheme was put together after talks with campus trade unions and approved by the university court. Voluntary redundancy was opened today and will run until July 25, The Courier reports. Staff who accept the deal will leave their jobs by September 30. A spokesperson added: "This is an important step in the recovery plan for the university, as we look to reduce staffing by 300 fulltime-equivalent through the voluntary scheme." The cuts were first revealed by interim principal Professor Shane O'Neill during a meeting, where he cited "the current financial crisis" as the reason behind the decision. Professor O'Neill had previously warned MSPs that the university could run out of cash by June without lifeline support. The Scottish Funding Council has since approved a £22 million emergency support package, and an investigation into the crisis has been launched. The uni has also lodged a full funding request for £100million bail-out. University Challenge contestant admits 'I don't understand the question' as they struggle to answer in quarter-final - but could you get it right? Labour MSP Michael Marra previously described the job losses as "devastating" for university staff and the Dundee economy. The job losses come amid an ongoing debate over university funding in Scotland. Critics argue that the Scottish Government's "free" tuition model is putting severe pressure on university finances, leading to limits on the number of Scottish students accepted onto courses since international students pay higher fees. Dundee is not the only university in Scotland to plan to cut jobs this year. Around 350 employees of the University of Edinburgh have accepted voluntary severance as part of ongoing efforts to reduce costs. And the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) plans to axe 75 jobs.
Scottish Sun
10 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Pretty European city most Brits won't have heard of gets new cheap flights from the UK
Plus, the unknown European city named world's cheapest holiday destination – with £1.60 beers & £16 flights FLY AWAY Pretty European city most Brits won't have heard of gets new cheap flights from the UK Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WIZZ Air has unveiled a new route between Birmingham and a pretty European city lots of Bris will have never have heard of. Sibiu is located in central Romania, and is known for its Germanic architecture. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Sibiu is located in central Romania Credit: Alamy 3 The city is known for its history and architecture Credit: Alamy Now, Wizz Air will be connecting the city with Birmingham, from October this year. The flights will operate twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays from October 28, with fares starting from £17.99. The flight would take just over three hours. Sibiu has a wealth of different places to explore. History is evident throughout the city, with remains of medieval walls and towers present, including the 13th-century Council Tower. In the upper town, there is also the Brukenthal Palace - which now houses the Brukenthal National Museum and is full of European paintings. For those who find churches fascinating, then the nearby Evangelical Cathedral is a must with gravestones in its walls. Just outside of the city, is also the Dumbrava Sibiului Natural Park. The parkland area stretches over 960 hectares and it is an oak forest with a plethora of wildlife including deer, porcupines and foxes. A beer costs around 11 lei, which is about £1.83 - so relatively cheap. Watch incredible Romania town And the average coffee costs 12.20 lei, which is around £2.03. Food is also cheap, with a three-course meal for two people at a mid-range restaurant costing £29.12 on average. Olivia Harangozó of Wizz Air said: "We are excited to add this new route to our operations from Birmingham. "Sibiu is one of Europe's hidden gems, and we are delighted to give Brits more opportunities to visit this city and experience its – and Romania's – rich history and vibrant culture." All flights will be operated using the latest-generation Airbus A321neo aircraft. WizzAir also recently announced a new route between Birmingham and Rome, Italy, which is due to commence service on June 16. The flights will operate three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. One woman flew to Romania for a spa holiday with her mum – it was cheaper than the UK even with return flights. Plus, the unknown European city named world's cheapest holiday destination – with £1.60 beers & £16 flights.
