Tel Aviv ranks 34th in Oxford Economics Global Cities Index — Jerusalem Post
Tel Aviv, Israel, ranked 34th in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2026, which assesses one thousand cities across the economy, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. The city became the highest-rated in the Middle East and North Africa region, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Economy and human capital
Tel Aviv posted its best result in the economic category, ranking 16th globally. The city ranked 31st in human capital. At the same time, it placed 156th for quality of life, 234th for environmental indicators and 401st for governance.
In the previous 2025 ranking, Tel Aviv was 46th, while in 2024 it ranked 30th. Only three Middle Eastern cities made the global top 50 in the current study.
Oxford Economics attributes the city’s strong overall position to its technology and innovation ecosystem, which it calls Silicon Wadi. It includes startups and major companies in the defense, finance and biotechnology sectors. According to the index’s authors, the scale and productivity of these industries place Tel Aviv in the top global decile for GDP size and GDP per capita.
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City indicators and the impact of security
Oxford Economics estimated Tel Aviv’s economy at approximately $267 billion, with GDP per capita at $86,300. The metropolitan area has a population of 3.1 million. The city’s advantages include a large economic base, a concentration of corporate headquarters and relatively low carbon intensity of the economy.
Governance proved to be Tel Aviv’s weakest category. The report linked this to Israel’s geopolitical situation, including regional tensions with Iran and its allies. The authors also noted that the country’s economy suffered a significant blow following the October 7, 2023 attacks and the subsequent war.
Education, healthcare and housing
Oxford Economics explains the strong human capital result by the role of the technology sector, a skilled workforce and research activity involving Tel Aviv University and Bar-Ilan University. The report also highlighted the city’s high level of education, high-paying jobs, life expectancy and healthcare system. High housing costs were cited among the challenges.
