Tel Aviv Ranks as Top Middle Eastern City in Global Economic Index

Tel Aviv has been ranked 34th globally in Oxford Economics' 2026 Global Cities Index, making it the highest-ranking city in the Middle East and North Africa. The index, which evaluates 1,000 cities worldwide, also included Haifa at 144th and Jerusalem at 179th.

The annual index assesses cities based on economics, human capital, quality of life, environment, and governance, incorporating future growth potential alongside current status. Tel Aviv's ranking represents a significant recovery from its 46th place position in 2025, though it has not yet returned to its 2024 peak of 30th.

New York leads the global rankings, followed by London and Paris, with Seattle and San Francisco rounding out the top five. Eight of the top ten cities maintained their positions from the previous year.

Tel Aviv's strong performance is attributed primarily to its economic standing, ranking 16th globally, and its human capital, at 31st. The city's economy is estimated at $267 billion, with a GDP per capita of $86,300. The tech sector and numerous startups are key drivers of its high economic and human capital scores, supported by research from local universities like Tel Aviv University and Bar-Ilan University.

While Tel Aviv ranks high in income, placing it among the top 100 globally for GDP per capita, it faces challenges with high housing costs, which also impact its quality of life score (156th). Jerusalem, however, ranks higher than Tel Aviv in quality of life (129th). All three Israeli cities scored low in governance (Tel Aviv 401st), attributed to geopolitical and security instability.

In contrast, Haifa ranked 177th in economics and 168th in human capital, while Jerusalem was 259th in economics and 214th in human capital. Haifa's quality of life score was 315th.