The pandemic has caused many people to flee the extremely expensive cities that top Kearney’s list, especially if they have options for remote work and the means to do so – an exodus from Manhattan to the Hamptons. If the report incorporated Covid-19 impacts, cities in Southeast and East Asia, where the pandemic has had a less pronounced impact, would likely see higher scores. And what does cultural experience mean when most theatres and museums are closed, most public events are cancelled, and most indoor dining is restricted? Human capital flows, meanwhile, have been rocked by border controls and travel restrictions. Covid-19 has devastated economies across the globe, with added impact on cities focusing on tourism. Obviously the pandemic has had huge impacts on all the dimensions measured by the index. However, the report was based on data captured largely before the virus struck, so city rankings did not yet incorporate the observed effects of the crisis. New York was also the top city for the business activity dimension, with top points for capital markets. New York extended its lead over the other cities, receiving the highest score in human capital due to strong performance in number of international schools, international student population, and medical universities. The top four cities’ ability to maintain their standing for four years highlights the breadth of advantages needed to stay at the top of the index, and how top global status is self-reinforcing. The 2020 report also added the new metrics of “number of unicorn companies” and the “number of medical universities.” The report encompassed 151 cities across the world. Kearney’s global cities index (GCI) assesses how globally engaged cities are across the dimensions of business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagements. Beijing, meanwhile, jumped to fifth place, overtaking Hong Kong. London, Paris, and Tokyo maintained their positions at second, third, and fourth, respectively – also for the fourth year in a row. New York topped Kearney’s Global Cities Index for the fourth consecutive year.

Global city index definition