Nine Philippine Cities Make It to Top 1,000 in the World

(SPOT.ph) Nine cities from the Philippines are among the top 1,000 cities in the world profiled in the latest Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2024.

The cities are Manila, Cebu City, Cagayan de Oro, Davao City, Angeles City, Bacolod City, Dagupan City, Zamboanga City, and General Santos City. Their presence in the U.K.-based think tank's study indicates their role as force in our country and beyond. The index is a study of the world's biggest 1,000 cities and their potential, including current strengths and weaknesses—"Cities are the driving force behind our global economy. They are the engines for national economic growth, centres for education and innovation, and seats of political power" states the study. 

The ranking is based on Oxford Economics’ five categories: economics, human capital, quality of life, environment, and governance. Basically, the higher the city ranks, the better their performance across various metrics.

For example, the highest ranking city is the U.S.' New York with a perfect overall score of 100, ranking 1st in economics but 353rd in the environment metric. New York is followed by London, San Jose, Tokyo, Paris, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Melbourne, and Zurich.

Manila leads the Philippines at the 265th place with its economic performance and educational attainment. The other cities present a mixed bag of strengths and weaknesses. For example, Davao and Cagayan de Oro show steady growth but need to improve in areas like human capital and quality of life.

Notably, several cities like Cebu City, Bacolod, and Zamboanga City stand out with high environmental sustainability scores, all ranking below 50 in this category.

Also read: What Are the Richest Provinces and Cities Outside of Metro Manila?

Top nine cities in the Philippines based on Oxford Economics

Here’s a more in-depth look at the performance of each city. 

Manila – Rank #256

• Economics – 150
• Human Capital – 101
• Quality of Life – 461
• Environment – 238
• Governance – 614

Cebu City – Rank #436

• Economics – 379
• Human Capital – 502
• Quality of Life – 683
• Environment – 24
• Governance - 614

Cagayan de Oro – Rank #487

• Economics – 450
• Human Capital – 514
• Quality of Life – 626
• Environment – 338
• Governance – 614

Davao City – Rank #500

• Economics – 412
• Human Capital – 645
• Quality of Life – 629
• Environment – 229
• Governance - 614

Angeles City – Rank #502

• Economics – 498
• Human Capital – 634
• Quality of Life – 550
• Environment – 191
• Governance - 614

Bacolod City – Rank #538

• Economics – 546
• Human Capital – 739
• Quality of Life – 695
• Environment – 12
• Governance – 614

Dagupan City – Rank #604

• Economics – 673
• Human Capital – 701
• Quality of Life – 696
• Environment – 220
• Governance – 614

Zamboanga City – Rank #695

• Economics – 961
• Human Capital – 772
• Quality of Life – 592
• Environment – 48
• Governance – 614

General Santos City – Rank #723

• Economics – 843
• Human Capital – 915
• Quality of Life – 665
• Environment – 101
• Governance - 614

Also read: Manila Placed 103rd in QS Best Student Cities 2025 Ranking