Thrissur is known as the cultural capital of Keralam. (File photo)

Thrissur has emerged as the highest-ranked city in Keralam in the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index, which evaluates 1,000 cities across 163 countries on key indicators of urban performance.

The global ranking, prepared by Oxford Economics, assesses cities across five major parameters—economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. Seven cities from Keralam—Thrissur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, and Kannur—have found a place in the index.

Thrissur has secured the seventh position among Indian cities, behind Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune. A total of 90 Indian cities feature in the global index.

Delhi, ranked 268th globally, is the highest-ranked Indian city.

Significant shift

The latest ranking marks a significant shift for Keralam. In the 2024 edition, Kochi was the State’s highest-ranked city, with Thrissur in second place. This time, Thrissur has moved to the top, aided by its performance in areas including quality of life, environmental sustainability and economic conditions.

The index compares cities across the world to provide a broad assessment of their economic and social performance and liveability.

At the global level, New York in the United States retained the top spot for the second consecutive year. London in the United Kingdom and Paris in France secured the second and third positions respectively.

Published – September 18, 2026 06:21 pm IST