Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai Among Cities On New Global Prosperity Index

Three Indian cities made it on the new index that ranks in terms of economic and social inclusivity. While the index was overall topped by Zurich (Switzerland), Bengaluru is the highest-ranked Indian city at 83.

The first-ever Prosperity & Inclusion City Seal and Awards (PICSA) Index, released in the Basque Country capital of Bilbao in northern Spain on Thursday evening. It is designed to showcase not only the quantity of economic growth of a city but also its quality and distribution across populations.

The other two cities to make it on the index, Delhi and Mumbai, are ranked at 101 and 107, respectively, among 113 cities around the world.

The top 20 cities were awarded a PICSA Seal as the world's highest-ranked cities building inclusive prosperity. Bilbao, the host city of the new index, is ranked at 20.

It is the first time that the world's major cities have been ranked not just by the size and health of their economy, but for their efforts to build inclusive and prosperous environments for all its citizens.

Commissioned by Basque institutions and compiled by D&L Partners, the PICSA Index measures factors such as the affordability of housing and access to education and healthcare, besides GDP per capita.

Zurich, as the number one, scores strongly across all measures, particularly on the quality of life, work, housing, leisure, safety, and education - with the Swiss higher education system attaining an especially high score.

Vienna, Austria at second place, scores close to top marks on healthcare. Copenhagen, Luxembourg and Helsinki complete the top five.

European cities dominated the list, with 15 of the top 20, joined by four North American cities, Ottawa (8th), Washington DC (11th), Seattle (14th) and Boston (16th). Taipei was the only Asian city to make it into the top 20 at sixth place.