London ranks #1 in our Programming category, an index that measures visitor and resident experiences in the subcategories of Shopping, Culinary, Nightlife and Culture, where the city placed no lower than #2. Incredibly, annual visits are now more than 25% higher than five years ago. London’s magnetism is certainly world-renowned, with a record volume of visitors streaming into the city-19.1 million in 2016, a 2.6% increase from 2015’s record.ĭespite terror attacks and Brexit (more on that in a moment), the city looked to set yet another record in 2017. It reigns atop our world cities ranking because it is the only city on the planet that finished Top 10 in all six of our categories.

London topped our ranking and there is a lot to unpack in the city’s performance.

The World’s Best Cities ranking is the most comprehensive city ranking on the planet, based on entirely original methodology that uses the opinions of the people who matter most: visitors and residents. The ‘Capital of Capitals’ reigns atop the planet’s best cities, sparked by the 2012 Summer Games and a coordinated effort to harness the global obsession ever since.

What makes london a global city?