KOCHI: With stronger scores for quality of life and the environment, Thrissur has pipped Kochi in the ranking of the world’s 1,000 largest cities, among those in Keralam.
In the recently released Oxford Economics Global Cities Index (GCI) 2026, which compares cities across 163 countries, the temple town has emerged as Keralam’s highest-ranked city, finishing 12 places ahead of the state’s commercial hub.
Thrissur secured the 477th position globally, followed by Kochi at 489 and Kozhikode at 499. Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram occupied the 623rd and 624th positions, respectively, while Kottayam ranked 696th and Kannur 772nd. Kerala, therefore, has seven cities in the index.
The ranking by the Oxford-based economic advisory firm offers an interesting contrast to the conventional perception of Kochi as the state’s leading urban centre, given its larger industrial base, busy port, and cosmopolitan business environment. Kochi has a clear advantage over Thrissur in the Human Capital category, which considers factors such as educational, universities, population trends, corporate headquarters, and the presence of a foreign-born workforce.
However, Thrissur scores higher in the other four categories assessed by the index. Thrissur records a stronger economics score and leads Kochi by a considerable margin in quality of life and environment.
These categories cover indicators such as income equality, income per person, housing costs, life expectancy, crime, recreational and cultural amenities, air quality, emissions, and exposure to climate-related risks.The index’s methodology assigns the highest weight to economics, at 30%. Human capital and quality of life account for 25% each, while environment and governance carry 10% each.
Individual indicators are first normalised, with the highest-performing city receiving a score of 100 and the lowest receiving zero. The scores are then combined within each category, before the five category scores are aggregated using the prescribed weights to arrive at the overall ranking.
Oxford Economics assesses cities through functional urban areas, rather than relying solely on municipal boundaries. Governance is assessed at the national level. As a result, all Indian cities receive the same governance score, reflecting factors such as political stability, institutional quality, business environment, and civil liberties. Delhi is India’s highest-ranked city in the index at 268, followed by Bengaluru at 311, Mumbai at 330, Chennai at 381, Hyderabad at 421 and Pune at 427. Kolkata, ranked 496th, is placed close to Kerala’s top three cities.
India has more than 90 cities in the index, a number exceeded only by China. Globally, New York retained the top position for the second consecutive year, followed by London and Paris.