madrid global ranking report 2020
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Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020
Government Department of Economy, Innovation and EmploymentGeneral Coordination of Economy, Trade, Consumer Affairs and Partnership
Madrid City Brand and Partnership Office
Legal Deposit No.: M-13219-2020
© Madrid City Council, December 2019
Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020
Table of Contents
Introduction 4
Global Capital 1. Global power cities 8 2. Cities with the greatest international influence 10 3. Cities with the best prospects in the world 12 4. Cities with the strongest city brands in the world 14 5. The world’s best cities 16 6. The world’s smartest cities 18
City with Quality of Life
7. Cities with the longest life expectancy in Europe 22 8. The world’s safest cities 24 9. The world’s best cities for expats 26 10. Cities with the best quality of life in the world 28
Diverse and Accessible City
11. Europe's most equitable cities 32 12. Cities with the highest cost of living in the world 34 13. The most transparent and participatory cities 36
City with Talent
14. Cities with the best talent management in the world 40 15. The world’s best cities for students 42 16. Cities with the best universities in the world 44 17. Europe’s best business schools 45
City that Attracts Businesses
18. The most attractive cities for businesses and employees 48 19. Economies where it’s easiest to do business 50 20. The most attractive cities for foreign investment 52 21. Europe’s most attractive cities for real estate investment 54
Innovative City
22. Europe’s most innovative countries and regions 58 23. Europe's most promising tech hubs 60 24. Cities with the highest startup density in Europe 62 25. Europe’s most attractive cities for digital entrepreneurs 64 26. Cities with the highest business confidence in the digital transformation environment 66
Connected and Sustainable City
27. The world’s most sustainable cities 70 28. Cities with the best sustainable mobility systems 72 29. Cities with the best public transport in Europe 74 30. Cities with the best quality public transport in Europe 76 31. Cities with the best airport connectivity in the world 78
Vibrant City
32. European cities with the most overnight stays 82 33. Cities with the most international tourists 84 34. The world's top cities for business tourism 86 35. Europe's most creative and cultural cities 88 36. The world’s best museums 90 37. Cities with the best food in the world 92 38. The world’s top cities for international retailers 94 39. Europe’s best cities for shopping 96
Appendix I: Madrid in the Rankings: Results 98
Appendix II: Comparative Table 104
Cities have become economic, political and cultural drivers in today's world, and they play a key role in all areas of common citizen interest.
Information technologies, communications and widespread use of different modes of transport enable economic and life activities to be conducted in myriad locations, which means that cities must develop strategically and competitively in order to position themselves in the international arena. Reputation helps improve the attraction of talent and investment.
The concept of brand and image has shifted from the business sphere to metropolitan centres and areas, and is being used as an essential tool in the development of a strong, attractive profile and a favourable perception.
Among socio-economic actors, for their part, there is a growing trend of basing decision-making on prior analysis and research of benchmarking data, consulting reputable sources before important measures or actions are taken. This has led to the emergence of multiple rankings and indices that evaluate a range of subject-specific and social areas.
International rankings and indices are becoming ever more important in promoting a region; they have a strong online presence and are consulted, used and viewed by citizens.
Against this backdrop, we present the first edition of the Madrid Global Ranking Report, whose content is the product of an analysis of perceptions of Madrid held both nationally and internationally, based on its position in various global rankings.
A better understanding of existing rankings and indices that evaluate different areas enables us to determine our city's strengths, in addition to identifying areas with room for improvement. In short, it gives us the tools to improve Madrid’s image and reputation.
José Luis Martínez-Almeida NavasqüésMayor of Madrid
5
Introduction
IntroductionMadrid Global Ranking Report 2020
Global Capital
6 7Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020
8Global Capital Global Capital9 Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020
Global power cities
1. Global power cities
London
New York
Tokyo
Paris
Singapore
Amsterdam
Seoul
Berlin
Hong Kong
Sydney
Melbourne
Los Angeles
Madrid
Stockholm
Zurich
Toronto
Frankfurt
San Francisco
Dubai
Copenhagen
Vienna
Barcelona
Vancouver
Beijing
Boston
Chicago
Brussels
Helsinki
Osaka
Shanghai
2019 Ranking
Source: Mori – Global Power Cities Index 2019 and 2018
2018 Ranking
Areas
Quality of life2018 /442019 /48
Accessibility2018 /442019 /48
Environment2018 /442019 /48
Research and development2018 /442019 /48
Economy2018 /442019 /48
Cultural interaction2018 /442019 /48
Source: Mori - Global Power Cities Index 2019 and 2018
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3
12
32
34
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16
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15
33
31
21
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30
1
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9
10
N/A
12
22
11
16
14
15
13
29
18
17
24
21
23
20
19
25
N/A
28
26
Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020
The Global Power Cities Index 2019, published by the Japanese Mori Memorial Foundation's Institute for Urban Strategies, ranks 48 global cities in terms of their “magnetism”, i.e. their overall power to attract people, capital and enterprises from around the world.
According to Mori, Madrid is the 5th most magnetic city in Europe and the 13th in the world (13th/48), having climbed 9 spots since the 2018 edition (22nd/44) and ranking ahead of Toronto (16th), Vienna (21st) and Shanghai (30th) on a list topped by London, New York, Tokyo, Paris and Singapore.
Madrid is the world's 13th most magnetic city in terms of its ability to attract people, capital and enterprises from around the globe, according to Mori
The ranking evaluates 70 indicators across 6 areas: liveability (3rd/48), accessibility (16th/48), environment (12th/48), research and development (32nd/48), economy (34th/48) and cultural interaction (12th/48).
Madrid’s performance improved in every area evaluated except for the economy (34th/48), where it fell 3 spots with respect to the previous edition.
The Spanish capital’s best score was for liveability (3rd/48). It climbed 2 spots in this area, which is assessed based on indicators relating to well-being, life expectancy, safety and security, cost of living and working environment.
With respect to the environment, measured in terms of sustainability, air quality and the natural environment, Madrid finished in 12th place (12th/48), climbing 3 spots since the previous edition.
In the area of research and development, the capital ranked 32nd (32nd/48), although it managed to advance one spot. Another area where Madrid gained significant ground was cultural interaction (12th/48), where it climbed 9 spots.
Mori also publishes the Actor-Specific Ranking, which measures cities’ attractiveness to people it considers to be key actors in the city: managers (32nd/48), global professionals (12th/48), tourists (6th/48) and residents (4th/48).
Global Capital Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202010 Global Capital11
2. Cities with the greatest international influence
The Global Cities Report 2019 published by American consultancy Kearney ranks the cities with the greatest influence and potential in the world based on 2 indices: the Global Cities Index (GCI) and the Global Cities Outlook (GCO).
According to the Global Cities Index (GCI), Madrid is the 5th most influential city in Europe and the 15th most influential in the world (15th/130, down 2 spots), ahead of Amsterdam (20th), San Francisco (22nd) and Vienna (25th) on a list topped by New York, London, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
Madrid is the 15th most influential city in the world and the 5th in Europe, according to Kearney’s GCI
The GCI has 27 metrics that assess 5 areas: business activity and the economy, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience and political engagement. The individual scores for each area are not published.
The Global Cities Outlook (GCO), for its part, measures the growth potential of 130 of the world's cities based on 13 metrics that evaluate 4 areas: personal well-being, economics, innovation and governance.
In terms of growth potential, Madrid’s overall rank in the GCO 2019 climbed 4 spots, with the city finishing 45th out of 130 cities around the world (45th/130). According to the report, London, Singapore, San Francisco, Amsterdam and Paris are the cities set to become international powerhouses of influence.
Cities with the highest growth potential
The world’s most influential cities
London
Singapore
San Francisco
Amsterdam
Paris
Tokyo
Boston
Munich
Dublin
Stockholm
Toronto
Geneva
Sydney
Melbourne
Zurich
Berlin
Copenhagen
Vienna
Vancouver
Abu Dhabi
Houston
Moscow
Montreal
New York
Taipei
Düsseldorf
Brussels
Prague
Washington D.C
Frankfurt
Madrid
New York
London
Paris
Tokyo
Hong Kong
Singapore
Los Angeles
Chicago
Beijing
Washington, D.C.
Sydney
Brussels
Seoul
Berlin
Madrid
Melbourne
Toronto
Moscow
Shanghai
Amsterdam
Boston
San Francisco
Barcelona
Buenos Aires
Vienna
Istanbul
Dubai
Frankfurt
Montreal
Zurich
GCO 2019
GCI 2019
Source: Kearney – Global Cities Report 2019/18
Source: Kearney – Global Cities Report 2019/18
GCO 2018
GCI2018
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45
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30
3
5
1
6
4
14
8
7
33
11
12
16
19
10
13
18
23
25
17
50
9
20
21
2
38
27
22
28
24
29
49
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5
7
6
8
9
11
15
10
12
16
13
17
18
14
19
22
24
20
23
25
21
26
28
29
27
33
Global Capital Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202012 Global Capital13
3. Cities with the best prospects in the world
The Cities of Opportunity Report compiled by British consultancy PwC analyses the 30 cities with the brightest future outlook in the world, which are considered to epitomise the modern, attractive city.
The report highlights that a balance between economic and social strengths is a key factor in a city's success. The cities with the best prospects stand out for their economic potential, but also place importance on social factors.
The city of Madrid has the 5th greatest economic clout in the world, according to PwC's Cities of Opportunity Report
In terms of future prospects, the latest (2016) edition of the Cities of Opportunity Report ranks Madrid 16th in the world (16th/30, down 1 from the previous edition) and 6th in Europe. London, Singapore, Toronto, Paris and Amsterdam take the top spots.
The report evaluates 67 metrics across 10 areas, in which Madrid achieved the following scores: economic clout (5th/30, up 12 spots), ease of doing business (17th/30, no change), intellectual capital and innovation (21st/30, down 6), demographics and liveability (14th/30, down 1), cost of living (8th/30, up 3 spots), health, safety and security (9th/30, up 5), sustainability and the environment (10th/30, no change), transport and infrastructure (11th/30, down 5), international connectivity (11th/30, down 5), and technological readiness (19th/30, down 3).
Madrid’s results were particularly impressive for the economic clout variable, assessed with regard to a number of factors including the city's ability to attract major enterprises, employment growth, productivity, GDP growth and attraction of FDI.
Of the 30 cities evaluated, the Spanish capital ranked 5th for economic clout, climbing 12 places since 2014. It was also the European city with the highest employment growth since 2014.
Cities with the best future prospects
London
Singapore
Toronto
Paris
Amsterdam
New York
Stockholm
San Francisco
Hong Kong
Sydney
Seoul
Berlin
Chicago
Los Angeles
Tokyo
Madrid
Dubai
Milan
Beijing
Kuala Lumpur
Shanghai
Moscow
Mexico City
Johannesburg
São Paulo
Bogotá
Rio de Janeiro
Jakarta
Mumbai
Lagos
2016 Ranking
Source: PwC – Cities of Opportunity 2016 and 2014
Source: PwC – Cities of Opportunity 2016 and 2014
2014 Ranking
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13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
1
3
4
6
N/A
2
7
5
8
9
14
11
10
12
13
15
16
18
19
17
20
21
22
23
26
N/A
27
29
28
N/A
Areas
Economic clout2014 /302016 /30
Ease of doing business2014 /302016 /30
Intellectual capital and innovation2014 /302016 /30
Demographics and liveability2014 /302016 /30
Cost of living2014 /302016 /30
Health, safety and security2014 /302016 /30
Sustainability2014 /302016 /30
Transport and infrastructure2014 /302016 /30
International connectivity2014 /302016 /30
Technological readiness2014 /302016 /30
17
5
21
8
14
9
11
11
19
10
11
13
17
15
17
14
10
7
6
16
Global Capital Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202014 Global Capital15
4. Cities with the strongest city brands in the world
The City Brands Index 2017, compiled by German market research firm GFK in collaboration with British image and identity expert Simon Anholt, evaluates the potential and brand appeal of 50 cities around the world.
According to the latest (2017) edition of the Anholt-GFK City Brands Index, Madrid has the 16th strongest city brand in the world (16th/50, down 2 spots). The cities with the strongest brands are Paris, London, Sydney, New York and Los Angeles.
Madrid's city brand is considered the 16th strongest in the world
The index evaluates 6 areas: international reputation and standing (“presence”); physical appearance and transport (“place”); basic needs such as affordable accommodation and the standard of public services (“prerequisites”); cultural diversity, friendliness and sense of safety (“people”); leisure offerings (“pulse”); and economic and educational opportunities (“potential”).
Another ranking that assesses cities’ international reputations and level of development is City RepTrak. It is compiled by the Reputation Institute, a private American organisation devoted to research and strategic consulting.
The 7th edition of the report, published in 2018, analyses the 56 cities in the world with the highest GDP, largest populations and greatest level of familiarity, by means of a survey of 12,000 people in G8 countries conducted between March and April 2018.
Madrid climbed 2 spots in the ranking to finish 19th in the world and 13th in Europe for reputation (19th/56), ahead of Amsterdam (22nd), New York (24th), Paris (26th) and Berlin (31st) on a list topped by Tokyo, Sydney, Copenhagen, Vienna and Stockholm.
The ranking evaluates 3 areas: advanced economy (investment attraction and financial stability), effective government (political institutions and transport network) and appealing environment (culture and leisure). Individual scores in each area are not published.
Cities with the best reputations in the world
Cities with the strongest city brands in the world
Tokyo
Sydney
Copenhagen
Vienna
Stockholm
Venice
Rome
Zurich
Munich
Montreal
Helsinki
Melbourne
Toronto
Milan
Barcelona
Vancouver
London
Dublin
Madrid
San Francisco
Edinburgh
Amsterdam
Frankfurt
New York
Prague
Paris
Singapore
Gold Coast
Seattle
Brussels
Paris
London
Sydney
New York
Los Angeles
Rome
Melbourne
Amsterdam
San Francisco
Berlin
Madrid
2018 Ranking
2017 Ranking
Source: Reputation Institute – City RepTrak 2018 and 2017
Source: GFK – Anholt City Brands Index 2017
2017 Ranking
2015 Ranking
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9
10
16
12
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4
18
13
19
20
14
16
7
10
9
8
5
6
17
21
22
15
11
26
23
25
24
31
35
27
30
1
2
4
3
5
6
9
8
N/A
7
14
Global Capital Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202016 Global Capital17
5. The world’s best cities
World's Best Cities 2019, a ranking published by Canadian consultancy Resonance, evaluates the quality of life and reputations of 100 global cities with over one million inhabitants, based on quantitative data and a survey of over 1,000 people in the United States conducted in 2018.
The 2019 edition rates Madrid as the 5th best city in Europe and the 11th best in the world (11th/100, no change in rank), ahead of Amsterdam (12th), Rome (14th) and Berlin (22nd). The top spots are taken by London, Paris, New York, Tokyo and Barcelona.
Madrid is the 11th best city in the world and the 5th best city in Europe, according to the consultancy Resonance
The ranking includes 24 indicators that assess 6 different areas: “place”, or quality of the natural and built environment (13th/100, down 4); “product”, which measures the quality of institutions, attractions and infrastructure (26th/100, down 1); “programming” (5th/100, up 1), which assesses the quality of the arts, culture, restaurants and nightlife; “people” (46th/100, down 2), which evaluates levels of immigration and diversity; “prosperity” (51st/100, up 53); and “promotion” of the city (7th/100, up 1) via stories, references and recommendations shared online.
Despite losing a bit of ground in some areas assessed in the report, Madrid made significant gains in the area of prosperity (51st/100), moving up 53 spots with respect to the previous edition thanks to the level of employment, GDP per capita and the number of corporate headquarters in the city, among other factors.
The report cites the urban transformation that is underway in the Spanish capital, which it views as a safe city with a very dynamic cultural and culinary scene and the best nightlife in Europe after London and Paris.
Best cities in the world
London
Paris
New York
Tokyo
Barcelona
Moscow
Chicago
Singapore
Dubai
San Francisco
Madrid
Amsterdam
Los Angeles
Rome
Boston
San José
Toronto
Washington, D.C.
Zurich
Hong Kong
Beijing
Berlin
Sydney
Las Vegas
Frankfurt
Miami
San Diego
Seoul
Prague
Munich
2019 Ranking
Source: Resonance Consultancy– World's Best Cities 2019 and 2018
2018 Ranking
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26
13
21
32
17
24
28
25
18
33
27
20
36
23
35
Source: Resonance Consultancy - World's Best Cities 2019 and 2018
Areas
Programming2018 /1002019 /100
Promotion2018 /1002019 /100
Place2018 /1002019 /100
Product2018 /1002019 /100
People2018 /1002019 /100
Prosperity2018 /1002019 /100
46
51
44
26
25
13
9
7
8
5
6
104
Global Capital Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202018 Global Capital19
6. The world's smartest cities
Spanish business school IESE compiles the Cities in Motion Index (CIMI), which ranks the world’s smartest cities based on two factors: their sustainability and their residents’ quality of life.
The 6th edition, IESE Cities in Motion 2019, rates Madrid as the 24th smartest city in the world (24th/174, up 1 spot) and the 12th smartest in Europe. London, New York, Amsterdam and Paris take the top spots.
Madrid is the 24th smartest city in the world and the 12thin Europe, according to IESE
The index evaluates 96 indicators across 9 areas: mobility and transport (9th/174, no change), international outreach (17th/174, up 2 spots), technology (34th/174, down 13), human capital (41st/174, up 7), governance (46th/174, down 12), urban planning (33rd/174, up 4), the environment (58th/174, down 8), social cohesion (55th/174, down 2) and the economy (39th/174, up 25).
Madrid stands out for mobility and transport (9th/174) and for international outreach (17th/174), where it climbed two spots. It also made significant strides in the economy dimension (39th/174), advancing 25 places. The environment, however, is highlighted as an area where Madrid has room for improvement (58th/174); its rank in this dimension fell 8 places with respect to the previous edition.
The report singles out Madrid’s commitment to developing a sustainable city via initiatives like the MINT (“Madrid INTeligente”) platform, which enables citizens to inform the City Council of any sort of incident
involving the management and quality of urban public services. The city also boasts the Decide Madrid civic participation platform, created to further direct democracy in city management. The tool, which has been used as a model by other cities, allows citizens to take decisions on a broad range of city-related issues.
In addition, an index compiled by the IMD World Competitiveness Center and Singapore University of Technology and Design analyses how citizens perceive the scale and impact of efforts to make their cities smarter, balanced against economic and technological aspects and human dimensions.
The 1st edition, IMD Smart City Index 2019, ranks Madrid as the 13th smartest city in Europe and the 21st in the world (21st/102), ahead of New York (38th), Paris (51st), Dublin (30th), Stockholm (25th) and Seoul (47th) on a list topped by Singapore, Zurich, Oslo, Geneva and Copenhagen.
Smartest cities in the world
Source: IESE – Cities in Motion 2019 and 2018
Areas
Mobility and transport2018 /1652019 /174
International outreach2018 /1652019 /174
Technology2018 /1652019 /174
Human capital2018 /1652019 /174
Governance2018 /1652019 /174
Urban planning2018 /1652019 /174
Environment2018 /1652019 /174
Social cohesion2018 /1652019 /174
Economy2018 /1652019 /174
17
9
34
46
41
33
55
39
58
34
34
21
19
9
37
53
64
50
London
New York
Amsterdam
Paris
Reykjavik
Tokyo
Singapore
Copenhagen
Berlin
Vienna
Hong Kong
Seoul
Stockholm
Oslo
Zurich
Los Angeles
Chicago
Toronto
Sydney
Melbourne
San Francisco
Helsinki
Washington
Madrid
Boston
Wellington
Munich
Barcelona
Basel
Taipei
2019 Ranking
Source: IESE – Cities in Motion 2019 and 2018
2018 Ranking
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7
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9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
2
1
10
3
5
4
6
13
11
19
9
7
16
23
24
17
14
8
15
12
27
22
20
25
21
18
37
26
34
N/A
City with Quality of Life
Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202020 21
City with Quality of Life Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202022 City with Quality of Life23
¹ Source: Statistics Portal of Madrid City Council and the Regional Government of Madrid² Source: INE and the Statistics Portal of Madrid City Council
7. Cities with the longest life expectancy in Europe
In its comparison of life expectancy at birth (0 to 1 years) in different EU regions, Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Commission, identifies Madrid as the region with the longest life expectancy at birth in the EU (1st/367).
According to the latest Eurostat data, life expectancy at birth in the region of Madrid was 85.5 years in 2018. Average life expectancy at birth in the EU that year was 80.7 years.
Madrid is the region with the longest life expectancy in Europe, according to Eurostat
At the global level, the World Health Organization (WHO) conducts a comparative study of life expectancy at birth that looks at life expectancy data from countries all over the world.
According to the most recent data published by the WHO, Japan was the country with the longest life expectancy at birth in 2016 (74.8 years), followed by Spain (73.8 years), the country with the second longest life expectancy in the world in 2016. That year, average global life expectancy was 72 years.
If we compare the WHO's most recent data with the data on Madrid published that same year¹, we see that life expectancy at birth in 2016 in both the city of Madrid (84.9 years) and the region of Madrid (84.6 years) was longer than it was in Japan, the country identified by the WHO as that with the longest life expectancy in the world.
According to the latest official data on Madrid², life expectancy at birth in 2018 was 85.21 years in the city of Madrid and 84.83 years in the region of Madrid.
Regions with the longest life expectancy
Community of Madrid
Ticino
Inner London - West
Autonomous Province of Trento
Île-de-France
Chartered Community of Navarre
Autonomous Province of Bolzano/Bozen
Marche
Castile-Leon
Umbria
Corsica
Lake Geneva Region
Basque Country
Rhône-Alpes
Lombardy
Central Switzerland
Veneto
Tuscany
Zurich
La Rioja
Emilia-Romagna
Northwestern Switzerland
Aragon
Castile-La Mancha
Sardinia
Catalonia
Midi-Pyrénées
Cantabria
Abruzzo
Apulia
2018Ranking
Source: Eurostat 2018
Life expectancy
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85.5
85.2
84.7
84.6
84.5
84.4
84.4
84.4
84.3
84.3
84.3
84.2
84.1
84.1
84
84
84
84
84
83.9
83.9
83.9
83.8
83.8
83.8
83.7
83.7
83.6
83.6
83.6
City with Quality of Life Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202024 City with Quality of Life25
8. The world’s safest cities Safest cities in the world
Tokyo
Singapore
Osaka
Amsterdam
Sydney
Toronto
Washington, D.C.
Copenhagen
Seoul
Melbourne
Chicago
Stockholm
San Francisco
London
New York
Frankfurt
Los Angeles
Wellington
Zurich
Hong Kong
Dallas
Taipei
Paris
Brussels
Madrid
Barcelona
Abu Dhabi
Dubai
Milan
Rome
2019 Ranking
Source: EIU – Safe Cities Index 2019 and 2017
2017 Ranking
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16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
1
2
3
6
7
4
23
N/A
14
5
19
8
15
20
21
11
18
16
10
9
26
22
24
17
12
13
28
N/A
25
27
Areas
Digital security2017 /602019 /60
Health security2017 /602019 /60
Infrastructure security2017 /602019 /60
Personal security2017 /602019 /60
Source: EIU – Safe Cities Index 2019 and 2017
20
28
5
18
15
21
2
14
The Safe Cities Index, which analyses safety and security levels in 60 cities around the world, is published by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a sister company to British magazine The Economist.
The Safe Cities Index 2019 report ranks Madrid as the 9th safest city in Europe and the 25th safest in the world (25th/60, down 13 spots), ahead of Barcelona (26th), Milan (29th) and Rome (30th) on a list topped by Tokyo, Singapore, Osaka, Amsterdam and Sydney.
Madrid is the 25th safest city in the world and has the 5th most secure infrastructure, according to The Economist
The report includes 57 indicators that evaluate 4 areas: digital security (28th/60, down 7), health security (20th/60, down 5), infrastructure security (5th/60, down 3) and personal security (18th/60, down 4).
Madrid’s scores remained above the average in all areas, despite losing some ground in each of them since the edition published in 2017, when Madrid was the 12th safest city in the world and the 4th in Europe.
The Spanish capital stood out for its excellent performance in the area of infrastructure security (5th/60, down 3), where it ranked ahead of New York (12th), London (19th) and Paris (25th).
Despite dropping 4 places, Madrid also scored well in the area of personal security (18th/60), finishing ahead of Paris (21st), London (22nd), Washington D.C. (23rd) and New York (30th).
With respect to health security, the Spanish capital moved down 5 spots to finish 20th (20th/60), tied with the city of New York.
City with Quality of Life Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202026 City with Quality of Life27
9. The world’s best cities for expats
InterNations, the German network that connects over 3.5 million expats in 420 cities around the world, publishes a report that evaluates expats’ quality of life in 82 cities based on a survey of over 20,000 expats in 187 countries.
According to the Expat City Ranking 2019, expats’ quality of life in the city of Madrid is the 17th highest in the world (17th/82, down 8 spots) and the 8th highest in Europe, ahead of Vienna (23rd), London (70th), Paris (78th) and New York (74th). The top spots go to the cities of Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Mihn, Singapore and Montreal.
Quality of life for expats in the city of Madrid is the 17th best In the world
The ranking is based on 25 indicators that assess 4 areas: quality of urban living (8th/82, down 5 spots), urban work life (63rd/82, down 11), finance and housing (50th/82, down 15) and ease of getting settled (12th/82, up 6). It also evaluates the cost of living in the city (16th/82, down 1).
Madrid is one of the cities with the highest quality of life in the world for expats (8th/82) thanks to its leisure offerings and climate (6th/82), its transport (13th/82) and its healthcare and environment (5th/82), which were all highly rated by the expats surveyed.
As for areas with room for improvement, respondents cited the need to improve employment opportunities and job security. They also expressed dissatisfaction with their income and financial situations.
Madrid takes the top spot as the world’s most welcoming city for expats. 3 out of 7 expats are very happy with the welcome they have received in Madrid, and 4 out of 5 feel at home in the city, finding it easy to make friends and get used to the local culture, and citing the friendliness of Madrid’s residents.
Madrid is the most welcoming city in the world for expats: 4 out of 5 expats feel at home in Madrid
The American consultancy Mercer also compiles a ranking that evaluates expats’ quality of life with the aim of helping multinationals provide equitable remuneration to employees posted abroad.
According to Mercer's 2019 Quality of Living Survey, Madrid is the city with the 28th best quality of life for expats in Europe and the 46th best quality of life in the world (46th/231, up 3 places), ahead of Tokyo (49th), Washington (53rd) and Rome (56th) on a list topped by Vienna, Zurich, Auckland, Munich and Vancouver.
Mercer also publishes an annual report on expats’ cost of living which benchmarks the prices of over 200 items in New York against the prices of the same items in 209 cities. Madrid is the world’s 82nd most expensive city for expats (82nd/209, down 18), more affordable than London (23rd), Miami (44th) and Paris (47th). Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul and Zurich take the top spots as the world’s most expensive cities for expats.
Cities with the bestquality of life for expats
Taipei
Kuala Lumpur
Ho Chi Minh City
Singapore
Montreal
Lisbon
Barcelona
Zug
The Hague
Basel
Aachen
Doha
Prague
Mexico City
Abu Dhabi
Sydney
Madrid
Budapest
Calgary
Bangkok
Manama
Luxembourg
Vienna
Tallinn
Panama
Tokyo
Miami
Muscat
Melbourne
Brussels
2019 Ranking
Source: InterNations – Expat City Ranking – 2019 and 2018
2018 Ranking
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
1
6
4
2
12
18
27
23
11
22
7
50
8
19
14
21
9
32
N/A
5
3
39
34
15
N/A
38
42
10
16
35
Areas
Quality of urban living2018 /822019 /82
Ease of getting settled2018 /822019 /82
Work life2018 /822019 /82
Finance and housing2018 /822019 /82
12
8
63
50
18
3
52
35
Source: InterNations – Expat City Ranking – 2019 and 2018
City with Quality of Life Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202028 City with Quality of Life29
10. Cities with the best quality of life in the world
Cities with the highest quality of life in the world
Zurich
Tokyo
Munich
Copenhagen
Vienna
Helsinki
Hamburg
Madrid
Berlin
Lisbon
Melbourne
Stockholm
Sydney
Amsterdam
Vancouver
Hong Kong
Kyoto
Barcelona
Paris
Düsseldorf
Auckland
Fukuoka
Brisbane
Oslo
Singapore
2019 Ranking
Source: Monocle – Quality of Life Survey 2019 and 2018
2018 Ranking
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
4
2
1
5
3
10
8
7
6
12
9
11
13
16
15
14
17
19
20
18
23
22
24
25
21
Zurich
Wellington
Copenhagen
Edinburgh
Vienna
Helsinki
Melbourne
Boston
San Francisco
Sydney
Vancouver
Amsterdam
Frankfurt
Tokyo
Prague
Auckland
Dubai
Berlin
Stockholm
Oslo
Chicago
Brussels
Singapore
Toronto
Lisbon
Riyadh
Madrid
Cape Town
Seoul
Warsaw
2019 Ranking
Source: Deutsche Bank – Mapping the World’s Prices2019 and 2018
2018 Ranking
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
2
1
3
4
5
6
7
11
16
8
15
10
9
13
20
12
18
14
17
19
22
28
26
21
25
24
23
29
27
31
Monocle, an urban lifestyle magazine created in 2007, publishes a Quality of Life Survey that evaluates 25 cities around the world.
According to the 2019 Quality of Life Survey, Madrid is the city with the 8th highest quality of life in the world (8th/25, down 1), ahead of Amsterdam (14th), Stockholm (12th), Paris (19th) and Singapore (25th) on a list led by Zurich, Tokyo, Munich, Copenhagen and Vienna.
Madrid is viewed as the city with the 8th highest quality of life in the world, according to Monocle
The survey highlights aspects of Madrid such as the rehabilitation of long-neglected buildings, the maintenance and cleanliness of its streets, artist-led initiatives and its globally renowned nightlife and gastronomy. It also cites the three years of small-scale urban transformation that have brought vitality to the Spanish capital.
Similarly, Mapping the World’s Prices 2019, a report compiled by Deutsche Bank economists, rates Madrid as the city with the 14th highest quality of life in Europe and the 27th highest quality of life in the world (27th/56), ahead of New York (31st), Paris (36th), Rome (40th) and London (41st). The top spots go to Zurich, Wellington (New Zealand), Copenhagen, Edinburgh and Vienna.
The report evaluates factors such as quality of life, wages and the cost of housing, and compares the prices of goods and services such as cinema tickets, monthly transport passes or an iPhone XS in over 50 of the world’s cities.
It assesses 8 areas: purchasing power (33rd/56), safety (15th/56), healthcare (6th/56), cost of living (24th/56), property price to income ratio (32nd/56), traffic (14th/56), pollution (29th/56) and climate (24th/56).
Madrid stands out for its excellent healthcare (6th/56), despite dropping 4 spots since the previous edition published in 2018, when it was second only to the city of Tokyo.
Madrid stands out as Europe's 4th best city in terms of human capital and lifestyle, accordingto Financial Times
Similarly, fDi Intelligence, a specialist division of British newspaper Financial Times, highlights Madrid’s excellent human capital and lifestyle (4th/301) in fDi European Cities and Regions of the Future 2018/19, a report that analyses the cities and regions with the best investment potential in Europe.
Cities with the bestquality of life for expats
Diverse and Accessible City
Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202030 31
Diverse and Accessible City Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202032 Diverse and Accessible City33
11. Europe's most equitable cities
Source: Spotahome– Best European Cities forEquality 2018 (1st edition of the ranking)
Europe’s mostequitable cities
Helsinki
Stockholm
Rotterdam
Bristol
Zurich
Reykjavik
Oslo
Copenhagen
Leeds
Edinburgh
Brussels
Birmingham
Luxembourg
Lyon
Munich
Frankfurt
Geneva
Amsterdam
Madrid
Dublin
Vienna
Berlin
Paris
Hamburg
Barcelona
Manchester
Warsaw
Lisbon
Milan
Rome
Prague
London
Athens
2018 Ranking
Score (0-10)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
7.97
7.82
7.3
7.29
7.23
7.23
7.2
7.07
6.96
6.86
6.85
6.83
6.58
6.57
6.45
6.44
6.38
6.33
6.27
6.2
6.18
6.12
6.1
6.1
5.95
5.9
5.51
5.47
5.47
5.27
4.92
4.84
4.51
A study published by Spotahome, an international online housing platform, analyses equality in various spheres in 33 European cities and 36 European countries, ranking the continent's most equitable places.
The 1st edition of the study, Best European Cities for Equality 2018, ranks Madrid as the 19th most equitable city in the European Union (19th/33), ahead of Vienna (21st), Berlin (22nd), Paris (23rd) and London (32nd) on a list topped by Helsinki, Stockholm, Rotterdam, Bristol and Zurich.
Madrid is the 8th most tolerant city for immigrants in Europe, according to Spotahome
The ranking is based on 10 indicators that evaluate 4 dimensions: gender, social sphere, economy and politics.
Madrid scored particularly well on the indicators that gauge immigrant acceptance (8th/33), gender pay gap, i.e. wage differences between men and women (9th/33), ratio of women to men in Fortune 500 countries (9th/33) and ratio of women to men in city councils (13th/33).
However, the ranking identified room for improvement in the areas of income inequality, i.e. the distribution of a country's income or wealth (24th/33), and female vs male labour force participation (25th/33).
Other areas evaluated include LGBTI friendliness (14th/33); wheelchair accessibility (17th/33), which measures the percentage of accessible buses and metro stations; political rights and civil liberties
(20th/33); and quality of life (20th/33), which analyses factors like housing prices, cost of living, safety, healthcare, pollution, purchasing power, commuting and climate.
34 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202035 Diverse and Accessible CityDiverse and Accessible City Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020
12. Cities with the highest cost of living in the world
Cities with the highest cost of living
Zurich
Geneva
Oslo
Copenhagen
New York
Tokyo
Milan
London
Chicago
Helsinki
Sydney
Paris
Auckland
Stockholm
Luxembourg
Seoul
Dublin
Brussels
Tel Aviv
Los Angeles
Panama City
Vienna
Munich
Amsterdam
Miami
Montreal
Frankfurt
Rome
Toronto
Berlin
Madrid
2018 Ranking
Source: UBS– Prices and Earnings 2018 and 2015
2015 Ranking
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
34
1
2
4
5
3
8
13
6
7
18
10
20
9
14
21
11
25
27
23
17
N/A
32
31
33
16
15
30
28
12
38
41
Swiss bank UBS publishes a study of the cost of living and income levels in cities around the world.
The bank uses the cost of living in New York as a benchmark (assigning it an index of 100) to measure the cost of living in other cities with regard to 4 areas: price levels, earning levels, purchasing power and working time.
Prices and Earnings 2018 compares the prices of 128 basic goods and services between January and April of that year in 77 cities, as well as the average earnings for 15 professions which are taken to represent the typical working population.
Madrid is the 34th most expensive city in the world, according to UBS
Madrid’s prices make it the 34th most expensive city in the world (34th/77, up 7 places since 2015). Zurich, Geneva, Oslo, Copenhagen and New York are the cities with the highest cost of living in the world in 2018.
In terms of wages (average gross wages), Madrid is the city with the 31st highest wages in the world (31st/77). Geneva, Zurich, Luxembourg, Los Angeles and Copenhagen take the top slots.
Purchasing power (net annual income) in the city of Madrid is the 36th highest in the world (36th/77). Residents of Los Angeles, Zurich, Miami, Geneva and Luxembourg have the highest purchasing power.
To illustrate how purchasing power differs from city to city, UBS calculates the number of hours a person in the city must work to buy, for instance, a Big Mac, an iPod or an iPhone X.
According to UBS, a person would have to work 27.8 minutes in Madrid to buy a Big Mac (39th/77) and 140.5 hours to buy an iPhone X (38th/77), compared to 11.8 minutes for residents of Hong Kong (Big Mac) or 38.2 hours for workers in Zurich (iPod or iPhone). In New York, residents would have to work 15.2 minutes (Big Mac) and 54.1 hours (iPod or iPhone).
The report singles out Madrid’s lifestyle and describes it as an “artistic, culinary, dynamic town that brims with energy”, which is the 3rd largest city in the European Union and has vibrant financial and technological industries, multiple universities and research centres and is the headquarters of a number of major multinational corporations.
Madrid Global Ranking Report 202036 37
13. The most transparent and participatory cities
Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020Diverse and Accessible City Diverse and Accessible City
The NGO Transparency International compiles an index aimed at fostering information culture and evaluating how transparent municipal governments are to citizens and society.
The latest (2017) edition of the Transparency Index for Municipalities (ITA) assesses the transparency of 110 municipal governments in Spain by means of 80 indicators that evaluate 6 dimensions of transparency.
The platform Decide Madrid received the UN's Public Service Award in 2018
The 6 dimensions of transparency evaluated are: active transparency and information on local authorities; the government website, civic participation and relations with citizens and society; economic and financial transparency; transparency of procurement, agreements, grants, subsidies and service costs; transparency in urban planning, public works and the environment; and, finally, the right of access to information.
Madrid City Council moved up 51 spots with respect to the 2014 edition, and was one of 25 municipal governments to achieve a perfect score (100 points) in the overall ranking, which is based on scores for the 6 individual transparency dimensions.
In addition, in Digital Governance in Municipalities Worldwide 2015/2016, a survey published by Rutgers University (New Jersey), Madrid ranked in 3rd place,
behind Seoul and Helsinki, on the list of cities with the best e-governance services (climbing 26 spots with respect to the previous edition published in 2014).
The survey evaluates e-governance services with regard to 5 areas: privacy and security (10th/100, tied with Vienna and London); usability (8th/100); content (3rd/100); service quality (6th/100); and social and citizen engagement (3rd/100).
In recent years, the city of Madrid has carried out a range of initiatives that have established it as a benchmark for engagement and governance.
Madrid City Council's Open Data Portal¹ promotes access to municipal government data and fosters the development of creative tools to attract and serve Madrid’s citizens. Since its creation in 2014, its resources have been downloaded over 9 million times.
Madrid City Council's Transparency Portal² was created in 2017 to ensure accountability to citizens, but also to improve public management and the efficiency of the council’s services, in addition to encouraging civic participation.
Moreover, in 2018 the Decide Madrid³ platform received the UN’s Public Service Award, and its software has been implemented in 95 cities in 18 different countries. Since its creation in 2015, 260 million euros from the municipal budget has been allocated via the platform to projects voted on by Madrid’s citizens.
¹ datos.madrid.es ² transparencia.madrid.es³ decide.madrid.es
Cities with the best e-governance services
Seoul
Helsinki
Madrid
Hong Kong
Prague
Tallinn
New York
Bratislava
Yerevan
Vilnius
Buenos Aires
Tokyo
Singapore
Moscow
Oslo
Amsterdam
Auckland
London
Lisbon
Sydney
Berlin
Zurich
Jerusalem
Istanbul
Bogotá
Copenhagen
Toronto
Ljubljana
Mexico City
Manama
2015/2016 Ranking
Source: Rutgers – Digital Governance in Municipalities 2015/2016 and 2013/2014
2013/2014 Ranking
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
1
16
29
3
10
34
2
6
5
12
26
25
4
69
13
59
22
15
38
35
33
20
27
55
37
24
7
60
18
94
Source: Rutgers – Digital Governance in Municipalities 2015/2016
Areas
Content2014 /1002016 /100
Citizen and social engagement2014 /1002016 /100
Services2014 /1002016 /100
Privacy and security2014 /1002016 /100
Usability2014 /1002016 /100
3
3
6
10
15
21
25
68
43
8
City with Talent
38Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202039
City with Talent Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202040 City with Talent41
14. Cities with the best talent management in the world
Cities best at managing and retaining talent
Washington, D.C.
Copenhagen
Oslo
Vienna
Zurich
Boston
Helsinki
New York
Paris
Seoul
Stockholm
San Francisco
Seattle
London
Taipei
Geneva
Singapore
Brussels
Tokyo
Munich
Amsterdam
Los Angeles
Madrid
Montreal
Prague
Sydney
Hong Kong
Rotterdam
Ottawa
Melbourne
2019 Ranking
Source: ADECCO and INSEAD – Global TalentCompetitiveness 2018 and 2019
2018 Ranking
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
6
4
3
15
1
17
5
26
9
18
2
8
N/A
14
N/A
N/A
33
10
12
N/A
11
13
22
N/A
25
20
N/A
27
24
N/A
The 2019 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) published by French business school INSEAD evaluates the ability of 125 countries and 114 cities around the world to attract and retain talent.
Among the cities that are best at managing talent, Madrid ranks 13th in Europe and 23rd in the world (23rd/114, down 1 spot), ahead of Berlin (32nd), Frankfurt (39th) and Chicago (31st). Washington D.C., Copenhagen, Oslo, Vienna and Zurich take the spots.
Madrid is one of the cities that attracts that most university talent in Europe, according to Colliers International
The ranking includes 68 variables grouped into 5 different areas that gauge cities’ ability to be global and to attract, retain, grow and nurture talent.
Madrid scored particularly well on the indicators that assess quality of life (77.4/100), environmental quality (62.8), percentage of the population with tertiary education (77.5) percentage of the workforce with tertiary education (71.3), tertiary enrolment (74.6) and the number of households with internet access (78.7).
Aspects highlighted as areas with room for improvement include R&D expenditure (34.7/100), GDP per capita (35.9/100), presence of major universities (47.9), airport connectivity (47.5), presence of individuals on social networks (37.3) and affordability (41.1).
Madrid’s scores on indicators such as the presence of intergovernmental organisations (56.7), physician density per inhabitant (62.9) and personal safety (54.4) were above average.
One of the key reasons behind Madrid’s attraction of talent is the quality of its environment and of life in the city, according to INSEAD
The report focuses on entrepreneurial talent as a key factor in nations’ and cities’ competitiveness, and predicts that it will become even more critical due to digitalisation and globalisation. It also highlights cities’ growing importance and their greater ability to attract talent due to the fact that they are more agile than countries and can more easily adapt to new trends.
City with Talent Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202042 City with Talent43
15. The world’s best cities for students
Source: QS– Best Student Cities 2019 and 2018
Areas
University rankings2018 /1002019 /120
Student mix2018 /1002019 /120
Desirability2018 /1002019 /120
Employer activity2018 /1002019 /120
Affordability2018 /1002019 /120
Student view 2018 /1002019 /120
45
51
33
55
21
32
57
31
35
37
32
48
Global higher education consultancy QS Quacquarelli Symonds publishes an annual report that ranks the world’s best cities for university students.
QS Best Student Cities 2019 ranks Madrid as the 10th best city for university students in Europe and the 27th best in the world (27th/120, up 5 spots), tied with Auckland (New Zealand) and ahead of San Francisco (35th), Dublin (37th), Stockholm (37th) and Chicago (41st). London, Tokyo, Melbourne, Munich and Berlin take the top spots.
Madrid’s international students praise its nightlife, diversity, lifestyle and weather, according to QS
The report assesses 6 areas: the performance of the city's universities in the QS rankings (51st/120, down 3 spots), student mix (45th/120, down 3), desirability (33rd/120, up 3), employer activity (32nd/120, up 3), affordability (55th/120, up 2) and student view (21st/120, up 10).
Madrid achieved its highest score on the student view variable (21st/120), climbing 10 spots with respect to the previous edition. This variable gauges students’ perceptions by surveying over 8,000 students from around the world.
Among the traits that make Madrid highly desirable to students from all over the world, the report cites Madrid’s quality and way of life as well as its diversity, rich gastronomy, lively nightlife, outstanding cultural and leisure offerings and excellent weather.
Madrid is Erasmus students’ favourite city destination, according to Uniplaces
In addition, Uniplaces, an international student accommodation website, surveys over 26,000 European students and asks them to vote for the city where they would most like to do an Erasmus exchange. Madrid was top of the list in 2016, and again in 2018, holding onto its position as international students’ favourite city for an Erasmus exchange.
The students surveyed cited Madrid’s lifestyle and nightlife, which were the two aspects of the city rated the highest by young Erasmus students. They also considered it easy for students to find accommodation in Madrid, and viewed the cost of living in the city as relatively low in comparison to other European destinations.
Other traits valued by Erasmus students in Madrid included its outstanding geographical location, its excellent connectivity, its parks and green areas, its streets full of culture and history, its lively nightlife and the fact that Madrid is a vibrant city full of life.
Best cities for students
London
Tokyo
Melbourne
Munich
Berlin
Montreal
Paris
Zurich
Sydney
Seoul
Hong Kong SAR
Toronto
Boston
Vienna
Edinburgh
Vancouver
Taipei
Kyoto – Osaka – Kobe
New York
Singapore
Barcelona
Brisbane
Canberra
Amsterdam
Los Angeles
Adelaide
Auckland
Madrid
Kuala Lumpur
Manchester
Buenos Aires
2019 Ranking
Source: QS– Best Student Cities 2019 and 2018
2018 Ranking
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
10
11
12
13
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
27
29
29
30
1
2
3
6
7
4
5
8
9
10
12
13
13
11
16
17
20
19
18
15
31
21
22
27
35
41
23
32
37
24
25
City with Talent Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202044 City with Talent45
16. Cities with the best universities in the world
17. Europe’s best business schools
Madrid’s business schools are internationally renowned management training centres that attract thousands of postgraduate students each year and achieve excellent scores in international rankings.
The Spanish capital is home to IE and other top business schools, as well as satellite campuses of IESE and ESADE and numerous nationally and internationally prestigious academic institutions.
In the 2019 edition of the European Business School Rankings published annually by Financial Times, IESE (6th) and IE Business School (8th) are among Europe’s top ten business schools, with ESADE (13th) trailing closely behind. The top spots go to HEC (Paris), London Business School, Bocconi (Italy), University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) and Insead (France).
To determine Europe’s best business schools, the ranking assesses the institutions’ teaching innovation, faculty excellence and student diversity, as well as factors like the level of internationalisation and scope of their programmes, the career and salary progression of their graduates, fulfilment of expectations and research output.
The Financial Times’ business school ranking is a composite of the average scores of Europe's top business schools in the individual FT rankings for MBAs, Executive MBAs, Masters in Management (MiM) and open and customised Executive Education programmes.
The FT Executive MBA Ranking 2019, which rates the business schools with the best Executive MBA programmes, ranks IESE (12th) and IE (16th) among the top 20 in the world.
ESADE (11th) and IE (16th) also figure among the global top 20 in the FT Masters in Management Ranking 2019. Finally, in the FT Executive Education Ranking 2019 for customised programmes, IESE has been the world's top business school (1st) for 5 years in a row, and ESADE (14th) is also among the top 20.
The FT Online MBA Ranking 2019 rates IE’s programme as the 2nd best in the world, and the FT Global MBA Ranking 2019 includes IESE (12th), ESADE (21st) and IE (31st).
The UK-based global higher education consultancy QS Quacquarelli Symonds publishes an annual report that ranks the best universities in the world in which to study.
It assesses the world’s top one thousand universities in 4 different areas: teaching, employability, internationalisation and research. These areas are evaluated using 6 metrics: the institution's academic reputation, its reputation among employers, the number of citations received per faculty member, the faculty/student ratio, the proportion of international faculty members and the ability to attract international students.
Universidad Carlos III is the world's 34th best university under 50 years old, according to QS
The QS World University Rankings 2020, a list topped by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, Harvard University, the University of Oxford and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), includes 4 Madrid universities: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (192nd), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (212nd), Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (298th) and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (435th).
As for more recently-established universities, three Madrid universities appear in the QS Top 50 Under 50 2020, which ranks the world’s 50 best universities under 50 years old: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (34th in the world) IE University (42nd) and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (61-70 range). The top spots go to universities in Singapore (NTU), Hong Kong (HKUST), South Korea (KAIST), Hong Kong (City University) and Paris (PSL).
With respect to employability and to universities’ ability to pave the way to successful careers for their students, the QS Graduate Employability 2020 ranking includes 4 Madrid universities: Universidad Politécnica (79th), Universidad Complutense (94th), Universidad Autónoma (141-150) and Universidad Carlos III (141-150).
In addition, owing to their academic excellence, 4 universities in Madrid are listed in Europe Teaching 2020, a ranking compiled by Times Higher Education (THE): Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (251-300), Universidad Carlos III (801-1000), Universidad Complutense (501-600) and Universidad Politécnica (801-1000).
The Academic Ranking of World Universities 2019 (ARWU), compiled by the independent consultancy Shanghai Ranking, also evaluates universities’ prestige. It ranks the top 1000 universities in the world, evaluating 56 academic subjects in 5 broader categories: natural sciences, social sciences, life sciences, medical sciences and engineering.
At the top of the heap are Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of California (Berkeley). Madrid's universities rank as follows: Universidad Complutense (201-300), Universidad Autónoma (301-400) and Universidad Politécnica (501-600).
The ranking criteria are: number of scientific papers published, number of papers indexed in a standardised citation index, percentage of papers involving international collaboration, papers selected for high-impact journals and prestigious conferences, and the number of researchers who have won prestigious awards in their fields such as a Nobel Prize or a Fields Medal.
City that Attracts Businesses
Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202046 47
City that Attracts Businesses Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202048 City that Attracts Businesses49
Most attractive cities for businesses and employees
London
Paris
Madrid
Moscow
Birmingham
Munich
Edinburgh
Zurich
Milan
Manchester
Stockholm
Bristol
Leeds
Frankfurt
Dublin
Stuttgart
Vienna
Berlin
Cologne
Copenhagen
Hamburg
Amsterdam
Helsinki
Glasgow
Utrecht
Rome
Barcelona
Prague
Lyon
Lisbon
2018 Ranking
Source: Colliers International – Cities of Influence
2017 Ranking
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7
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10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
1
2
8
N/A
N/A
6
N/A
13
20
3
4
N/A
N/A
11
5
N/A
9
12
N/A
N/A
14
7
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
16
10
N/A
17
18. The most attractive cities for businesses and employees
Colliers International, a Canadian real estate and financial services consultancy, compiles the Cities of Influence Report, which ranks Europe's most influential cities.
The report analyses 50 major economic hubs in Europe, evaluating their appeal to investors based on criteria such as attraction and availability of talent, economic output, quality of life and business productivity.
Madrid is Europe’s 3rd most attractive city for businesses and employees, according to Colliers
The 2nd edition of the report, Cities of Influence | Q1 2018 | EMEA, ranks Madrid as Europe’s 3rd most influential city (3rd/50, up 5 spots), ahead of Munich (6th), Milan (9th), Frankfurt (14th), Vienna (17th), Berlin (18th) and Amsterdam (22nd) on a list topped by the cities of London and Paris.
The Spanish capital's international performance improved significantly in the ranking of Europe’s major business hubs. It climbed from 8th to 3rd place to finish as one of the top three investment destinations in Europe.
The report is based on 150 indicators that assess 8 categories: economic output; attraction of latent and future talent; workforce skills and orientation; quality and cost of living; employee aspirational factors and other key factors associated with regulations; safety; the tax burden; and ease of doing business.
Madrid stands out for its ability to create business and employment, although growing real estate investment and company occupancy of offices are unquestionably the factors behind the surge in the Spanish capital's performance in this edition of the ranking.
The number of transactions recorded in Madrid in 2017 rose by 72%, making it, for the first time ever, Europe’s third biggest investment market. This attests to investors’ perception of Madrid as a city with long-term potential.
The ranking underscores that it isn’t only business owners and investors who are setting their sights on the Spanish capital. It is also capturing the interest of present and future workers. In this regard, the ranking includes a separate indicator that identifies Madrid as one of Europe’s most attractive cities for students and future workers.
The ranking identifies Madrid as the city with the 2nd greatest ability to attract university talent, preceded only by Paris. According to the report, Paris, Madrid and Moscow are the cities that attract that most university talent in Europe, along with Vienna, Dublin and Copenhagen.
City that Attracts Businesses Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202050 City that Attracts Businesses51
19. Economies where it’s easiest to do business
Every year, the World Bank publishes Doing Business, a report that evaluates business activity regulations to rank 190 of the world's economies (countries) based on how easy it is to do business in them.
To compare them, it uses the country's largest city as a benchmark for doing business there, except for 11 countries with over 100 million inhabitants, for which it also collects data on the second largest city to assess the ease of doing business in the economy as a whole. This protocol is used for Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia and the United States.
Spain is the 30th easiest economy in the world to do business in, according to a World Bank report that uses the city of Madrid as a benchmark
Doing Business 2020 uses the city of Madrid as a benchmark for Spain, which is the 30th easiest place in the world to do business (30th/190), ahead of France (32nd), the Netherlands (42nd), Switzerland (36th), Italy (58th) and Luxembourg (72nd). The top spots are taken by New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Denmark and the Republic of Korea.
The report highlights that the economies with the best scores are those with solid and transparent regulations for companies, as well as widespread use of electronic systems to carry out procedures and formalities.
For the period evaluated, 2 May 2018 to 1 May 2019, Spain held onto its previous position (30th/191) and improved its overall score from 77.68 to 77.9 points.
The report assesses the ease of doing business in 10 areas that represent a company’s life cycle. It also includes a set of indicators that evaluate the process of employing workers.
In this edition of the report, Spain achieved the following scores: ease of starting a business (97th/190, down 11 spots), dealing with construction permits (79th/190, down 1), getting electricity (55th/190, down 7), registering property (59th/190, down 1), getting credit (80th/190, down 7), protecting minority investors (28th/190, up 2), paying taxes (35th/100, down 1), trading across borders (1st/190), enforcing contracts (26th/190, down 3) and resolving insolvency (18th/190, up 1).
Spain's scores in the 10 areas evaluated held steady or, at times, even improved, but its rank in most areas fell due to improvements in other countries' scores.
Areas
Protecting minority investors2019 /1902020 /190
Starting a business2019 /1902020 /190
Paying taxes2019 /1902020 /190
Trading across borders2019 /1902020 /190
Dealing with construction permits2019 /1902020 /190
Enforcing contracts2019 /1902020 /190
Getting electricity2019 /1902020 /190
Registering property2019 /1902020 /190
Getting credit2019 /1902020 /190
Resolving insolvency2019 /1902020 /190
97
28
35
79
1
26
59
18
55
78
23
48
1
34
86
30
58
73
19
Source: World Bank – Doing Business 2020 and 2019
Economies where it’s easiest to do business
New Zealand
Singapore
Hong Kong, China
Denmark
Korea
USA
Georgia
United Kingdom
Norway
Sweden
Lithuania
Malaysia
Mauritius
Australia
Taiwan, China
United Arab Emirates
North Macedonia
Estonia
Latvia
Finland
Thailand
Germany
Canada
Ireland
Kazakhstan
Iceland
Austria
Russia
Japan
Spain (Madrid)
2020 Ranking
Source: World Bank – Doing Business 2020 and 2019
2019 Ranking
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7
12
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18
13
11
10
16
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17
27
24
22
23
28
21
26
31
39
30
80
City that Attracts Businesses Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202052 City that Attracts Businesses53
20. Most attractive cities for foreign investment
European Cities and Regions of the Future 2018/2019, a report published by fDi Intelligence, a specialist division of the British newspaper Financial Times, evaluates the ability to attract investment and retain talent of 150 regions, 301 cities and 38 local business associations in Europe.
The fDi index analyses European regions and cities based on their economic potential, human capital and lifestyle, cost-effectiveness, connectivity and business friendliness. It also assesses their FDI strategies.
Madrid is the 3rd best southern European city to invest in according to fDi Intelligence, a specialist division of Financial Times
Madrid isn’t listed among the top 25 European cities and regions of the future, led by London, Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam and Munich, but both the city and the region achieve excellent scores in several of the ranking’s individual categories.
In southern Europe, Madrid is the 3rd best city to invest in (3rd/10). In the major European cities category, Madrid ranks 10th for connectivity (10th/10) and 4th for human capital and lifestyle (4th/10), trailing behind London, Moscow and Paris and ahead of Berlin (7th), Oslo (9th) and Vienna (10th).
In the southern European regions category, the report also identifies Madrid as the 2nd best (2nd/10) region to invest in, and in the major regions category it is the region with the 6th best FDI strategy (6th/10), ahead of
the region of Paris (7th/10). Among the large European regions with over 4 million inhabitants, Madrid has the 7th best (7th/10) human capital and lifestyle.
At the global level, according to the Global Cities Investment Monitor 2019 published by international consultancy KPMG, in 2018 Madrid was the 11th most attractive city for international investment in the world (11th/35, up 4 spots) and the 3rd most attractive in Europe, ahead of Amsterdam (12th), Tokyo (13th), Dublin (14th), San Francisco (22nd) and Munich (33rd) on a list topped by London, Paris, Singapore, Dubai and New York.
Madrid is the European city with the 4th best human capital and lifestyle, according to fDi
KPMG also ranks Madrid as the world’s 9th most attractive city for R&D investments in 2018 (9th/47) and the 4th most attractive in Europe. Moreover, the report includes a survey of investors’ perceptions that reveals that they view Madrid as one of the cities with the best images in the world and one of the most attractive locations for setting up a business (12th/20), as well as one of the cities whose attractiveness will grow the most over the next 3 years (9th/20).
With respect to investor opinions, the European Attractiveness Survey 2019 conducted by international consultancy EY ranks Madrid as Europe's 7th most attractive city for foreign investors (up 2 points). 9% of the executives in international companies surveyed about their investment plans over the next few years chose Madrid as one of the top 3 European cities to invest in.
With regard to Madrid’s share of total investment in Spain, the region of Madrid was the top recipient of foreign investment in 2018, attracting €39.9254 billion. This represented 85.3% of the national total, and a year-on-year rise of 125.3%.
Madrid Investment Attraction Office (MIA) was created in 2018 with the aim of attracting foreign investment and creating loyalty among foreign companies that have already established a presence in Madrid. It offers companies training, information and advice as well as soft-landing services and free premises in coworking spaces.
Most attractive cities for foreign investment
London
Paris
Singapore
Dubai
New York
Shanghai
Barcelona
Hong Kong
Düsseldorf
São Paulo
Madrid
Amsterdam
Tokyo
Dublin
Sydney
Mexico
Bangalore
Warsaw
Frankfurt
Melbourne
Toronto
San Francisco
Bogotá
Bucharest
Helsinki
Bangkok
Berlin
Beijing
Ho Chi Minh
Los Angeles
2019 Ranking
Source: KPMG – Global Cities Investment Monitor2018 and 2019
2018 Ranking
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21
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23
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26
27
28
29
30
1
3
2
4
7
5
9
6
23
15
16
11
14
10
12
25
8
24
17
21
13
22
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
26
19
20
27
City that Attracts Businesses Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202054 City that Attracts Businesses55
21. Europe’s most attractive cities for real estate investment
The international consultancy PwC publishes an annual report on real estate market trends in Europe based on 885 interviews held in 22 European countries with key industry players: property developers, funds, institutional investors and financial institutions.
Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2020 ranks Madrid as Europe’s 5th most attractive city for real estate investment (5th/31, down 1 spot), ahead of cities like Amsterdam (6th), Vienna (15th), Munich (7th) and Brussels (13th). The top spots go to Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt and London.
Madrid is Europe's 5th most attractive city for real estate investment, according to PwC
Demand and Disruption in Global Cities 2019, a report published by international consultancy JLL and The Business of Cities, cites quality of life, innovation, sustainability, good governance and resilience as factors that are increasingly important in decision-making regarding property investments and locations.
Cities that adapt to new economic models, such as those based on fostering innovation, the creation of experiences and the sharing and circular economy, are the most attractive destinations for real estate investment and can attract greater cross-border investment flows.
The report includes a "Global Map of Cities" around the world which distinguishes "New World Cities" from "Established World Cities". It lists Madrid amongst the latter, a group of 17 cities that stand out on the world stage for having the largest amount of business activities, companies, capital, talent and institutions.
Within the "Established World Cities" there is a smaller core group called "The Big Seven", which are considered the wealthiest and most attractive for global capital: London, New York, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong.
There is also a second group, called "The Global Contenders", made up of cities with strong competitive and investment advantages that are also major destinations for international capital and talent. Madrid ranks 11th among these cities, ahead of Boston (12th), Washington D.C. (13th) and Stockholm (14th).
Most attractive European cities for real estate
investment
Paris
Berlin
Frankfurt
London
Madrid
Amsterdam
Munich
Hamburg
Barcelona
Lisbon
Milan
Dublin
Brussels
Warsaw
Vienna
Luxembourg
Zurich
Stockholm
Copenhagen
Prague
Helsinki
Rome
Manchester
Birmingham
Edinburgh
Lyon
Budapest
Athens
Oslo
Istanbul
2020 Ranking
Source: PwC Emerging Trends in Real Estate: Europe2020 and 2019
2019 Ranking
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11
2
5
29
4
6
10
7
27
1
20
3
23
21
9
12
18
19
13
17
8
28
25
24
26
16
22
14
15
31
Innovative City
Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202056 57
Innovative City Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202058 Innovative City59
22. Europe’s most innovative countries and regions
Índice de Innovación, an innovation index published by French consultancy Altran, is a composite innovation, science and technology index that evaluates the innovative capabilities of 25 European Union countries. It also compares the innovative potential of these countries against some specific regions, including Madrid.
The last edition, published in 2016, ranks Madrid as Europe’s 4th most innovative region (4th/25, up 1 spot), tied with Germany and ahead of countries like the Netherlands (6th), Norway (8th) and the United Kingdom (13th) on a list topped by Sweden, Denmark and Finland.
Madrid is the 4th most innovative region in Europe, according to the index published by Altran
The region of Madrid’s innovative potential (which climbed from 0.64 to 0.71) is above the EU average (0.45) and on a par with that of countries which border on high-potential (3). The report evaluates 4 indicators: employment in high-tech services (1st/25), number of new PhD graduates (7th/25), researchers in the private sector (13th/25) and companies that use e-commerce (15th/25). These indicators are linked to the variable that measures R&D investment as a percentage of GDP (11th/25).
The region of Madrid stands out for employment in high-tech services (1st/25). The large proportion of such workers (8.2%) is well above the average in Spain (3%) and in the EU (2.8%), making it one of the cornerstones of the region’s high innovative potential.
With respect to new PhD graduates between 25 and 34 years old, Madrid ranks 7th (7th/25), with 2.78 per 1,000 inhabitants. The region of Madrid’s score on this indicator is just shy of the scores of countries with high innovative potential such as Germany (2.8‰), and well above the Spanish average (1.75‰).
According to the index, 40.65% of the researchers in the region of Madrid work in the private sector (13th/25). This figure is above the Spanish average (36.3%) but still well below the EU average (48.42%). The report suggests that an improvement in this area would provide the region with a support mechanism to enable it to strengthen its entrepreneurial innovation.
17.4% of Madrid's companies use e-commerce (15th/25), well below the percentage seen in countries with high innovative potential and below the Spanish average (19%). This highlights the need for greater technological innovation in sales channels.
With respect to areas with room for improvement, the report cites R&D as a percentage of GPD, which was 1.68% in 2017 (11th/25). Although this is above the national average (1.23%), it is well below the average in the EU (2%).
According to the most recent data published by Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE), internal R&D expenditure in the region of Madrid was €3.922 billion in 2018, which represented 26.24% of all such expenditure in Spain (€14.946 billion) and a 14.2% increase since 2013 (€3.434 billion).
At the global level, the Innovation City Index 2019 published by Australian agency 2thinknow uses 162 indicators to analyse 500 cities around the world. Madrid climbed 10 spots to finish as the 28th most innovative city in the world (28th/500) and the 7th in Europe, ahead of Amsterdam (30th), Tel Aviv (41st) and Dublin (52nd) on a list topped by New York, Tokyo, London, Los Angeles and Singapore.
Furthermore, in its Innovation Geographies 2019 report, international real estate consultancy JLL examines the link between innovation and real estate performance and ranks Madrid among the world's most innovative and attractive cities for talent, highlighting the quality of its universities, technology parks and innovation spaces.
This first edition of the report ranks Madrid as the 15th most innovative city in the world (15th/100). It places the Spanish capital in its "Innovation Centric" category, made up of cities that perform strongly on both talent and innovation but outperform on the latter. Other cities in this group include Dublin, Beijing, Toronto, Chicago and Frankfurt.
Europe’s most innovative countries and regions
Sweden
Denmark
Finland
Community of Madrid
Germany
Netherlands
Ireland
Norway
Austria
Czech Republic
Iceland
Belgium
United Kingdom
France
Hungary
Spain
Portugal
Estonia
Italy
Slovakia
Lithuania
Poland
Bulgaria
Romania
Latvia
Greece
2016 Ranking
Source: Índice de Innovación Altran 2016
2015 Ranking
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2
3
4
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
1
3
2
4
4
6
5
8
9
10
7
11
13
12
14
15
16
19
17
18
20
22
23
21
24
25
Areas
Employment in high-tech services /25
New PhD graduates /25
Private sector researchers /25
Companies that use e-commerce /25
R&D investment as a % of GDP /25
1
7
13
15
11
Source: Índice de Innovación Altran 2016
Innovative City Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202060 Innovative City61
23. Europe's most promising tech hubs
Every year, British investment group Atomico publishes a report on The State of European Tech that analyses Europe’s technology ecosystem in terms of capital, talent, entrepreneurship and the strength of its tech communities.
The State of European Tech 2019 highlights the growth of Europe’s tech sector and points to tech companies as one of the continent’s economic drivers, in addition to identifying current priorities for the sector based on a survey of over 1,200 tech startup founders.
Madrid is Europe’s 9th biggest tech hub, according to Atomico
According to the report, as the destination of a large share of all capital invested in tech startups in Spain in 2019, Madrid is one of the country’s 3 tech hubs, along with Barcelona and Valencia. It is also the European city with the 7th (7th/20) largest number of participants in tech events.
Madrid is Europe's 9th biggest tech hub in terms of invested capital ($509M), ahead of Copenhagen ($443M) and Dublin ($244M) on a list topped by London ($8.203B), Berlin ($3.932B), Stockholm ($3.139B), Paris ($2.982B) and Munich ($1.078B).
Although London is Europe’s biggest tech hub in terms of VC-backed startup creation, Madrid is home to 314 tech companies that have closed funding rounds since 2015, making it Europe's 9th (9th/20) biggest tech hub in terms of funding received between 2015 and 2019.
The city of Madrid also ranks 7th (7th/30) in Europe for the number of deals closed in 2019 (83), ahead of Munich (67), Dublin (64), Copenhagen (59) and Lisbon (23). The top spots are taken by London (788), Paris (300), Berlin (249), Stockholm (177) and Amsterdam (117).
According to the report, Madrid’s low costs –a fundamental factor for startups– make it one of the most attractive cities for tech entrepreneurs. It calculates the average annual cost of starting a company with 30 employees in Madrid at $1.8M, compared to the $3.85M it would cost to start a company of the same size in the Bay Area (San Francisco), the $2.8M it would cost in London or the $2.73M it would cost in Copenhagen.
With respect to pools of talent, according to the report 37% of Spain’s software developers live in Madrid (17th/20). In the United Kingdom, 57% live in London (10th) while in France, 55% live in Paris (11th). The European cities with the highest density of tech talent are Copenhagen (86%), Dublin (83%), Brussels (82%), Vienna (80%) and Budapest (75%).
Among the cities where founders would most like to start a company, Madrid ranks 12th (12th/20), ahead of Vienna (13th), Tel Aviv (15th) and Copenhagen (16th) on a list topped by London, Berlin, Barcelona, Paris and Amsterdam.
Europe's biggest tech hubs by capital invested
London
Berlin
Stockholm
Paris
Munich
Bucharest
Barcelona
Helsinki
Madrid
Cambridge
Copenhagen
Bristol
Amsterdam
Zurich
Milan
Dublin
Hamburg
Oxford
Oslo
Brussels
2019 Ranking
Source: Atomico – State of European Tech 2019
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Capital ($)
8.203 B
3.932 B
3.139 B
2.982 B
1.078 B
762 M
688 M
628 M
509 M
485 M
443 M
418 M
413 M
411 M
282 M
244 M
239 M
192 M
186 M
185 M
Innovative City Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202062 Innovative City63
24. Cities with the highest startup density in Europe
Madrid is Europe’s 6th biggest hub in terms of startup density (6th/50, no change in rank) according to Europe’s Biggest Startup Hubs in 2018. The ranking, compiled by the online platform EU-Startups, analyses the cities with the highest startup density in Europe.
In addition, the Mobile World Capital Barcelona Foundation publishes an annual Digital Startup Ecosystem Overview that evaluates the state of Spain's startup ecosystem, the state of the main European hubs, and their ability to attract talent.
Madrid is the city with the 6th highest startup density in Europe, according to EU-Startups
According to the Digital Startup Ecosystem Overview 2019, Madrid was the city with the 5th highest startup density in Europe in 2018 (1,235 startups, 30% of the national total), ahead of Barcelona, Stockholm, Dublin, Helsinki and Copenhagen. London, Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam were top of the list. The number of startups in the region of Madrid grew 70% between 2016 and 2018.
The report also identifies Madrid as one of Europe’s biggest tech hubs; it was the city with the 13th highest investment in startups in 2018 (€340M).
At the global level, Best Urban Cities for Digital Nomads 2018, an index compiled by online housing website Spotahome, ranks Madrid as the world's 7th most attractive city for digital nomads (7th/56).
The index is based on 9 metrics grouped into the broader categories of work, life and fun. They assess: internet speed (14th/56), quality of coworking spaces (14th/56), startup score (10th/56), migrant acceptance
(22nd/56), average cost of rent (20th/56), cafés with free Wi-Fi (26th/56), green spaces and parks (41st/56), cost of beer (21st/56) and annual hours of sunshine (12th/56).
According to the index, Madrid ranks 10th among the world's cities for the number of startups, coworking spaces and accelerators in the city, which are indicators included in the “startup score” metric (10th/56).
Madrid is the world’s 7th most attractive city for digital nomads, according to Spotahome
With respect to the distribution of “startup talent” in Europe’s different regions, StartupCity Hubs in Europe 2018, a report compiled for the European Commission by the Mind the Bridge Foundation, evaluates 476 European cities with at least one “scaleup”, defined as a startup that has raised at least $1M and is now facing the challenge of scaling up its business model.
Of these 476 cities, the EC considers just 48 (a maximum of one or two per country) to be “Top StartupCity Hubs”, i.e. cities with the highest concentration of scaleups in their respective country. According to the EC, Madrid has the 10th largest concentration of startup talent in Europe (10th/476), with 93 scaleups in total (36% of all scaleups in Spain).
Since 2012, Madrid has hosted southern Europe's biggest annual entrepreneur and investor event, featuring the most innovative ideas and thousands of new startups that network with investors interested in backing their projects in a unique setting of innovation and development. The South Summit Startup Competition has become a benchmark for innovation and is attended by 100 of the global ecosystem’s most innovative startups.
European hubs by number of startups
London
Paris
Berlin
Amsterdam
Madrid
Barcelona
Stockholm
Dublin
Helsinki
Copenhagen
2019 Ranking
2018 Ranking
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
2
3
7
6
5
8
4
9
10
European tech hubs by capital invested
London
Paris
Berlin
Stockholm
Barcelona
Hamburg
Munich
Cambridge
Amsterdam
Lisbon
Oxford
Copenhagen
Madrid
Bristol
Helsinki
2019 Ranking
Source: Mobile World Capital Barcelona: DigitalStartup Ecosystem Overview 2019 and 2018
Source: Mobile World Capital Barcelona: DigitalStartup Ecosystem Overview 2019 and 2018
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7
8
9
10
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13
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15
Capital(€)
4.70 B
2.35 B
2.17 B
920 M
871 M
470 M
440 M
430 M
370 M
360 M
350 M
350 M
340 M
300 M
290 M
Innovative City Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202064 Innovative City65
25. Europe’s most attractive cities for digital entrepreneurship
The European Digital City Index 2016 (EDCi), published by the British foundation Nesta and the independent think tank European Digital Forum, ranks European cities based on the support they provide to digital entrepreneurs.
Nesta supplements the index with an “Idea Bank” for local authorities, in which it suggests various initiatives to support entrepreneurs.
Madrid is Europe's 14th most attractive city for digital entrepreneurs, according to the EDCi
The second edition of the report ranks Madrid as Europe's 14th most attractive city for digital entrepreneurs (14th/60, down 4 spots), ahead of Brussels (17th), Tallinn (18th), Lisbon (24th) and Frankfurt (25th) on a list topped by London, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Helsinki and Paris.
The interactive index assesses 40 indicators across 10 areas: access to capital; business environment; digital infrastructure; non-digital infrastructure; lifestyle; mentoring and managerial assistance; entrepreneurial culture; market; skills; and knowledge spillover.
Although Madrid lost some ground in comparison to the first edition, Nesta cites the strong sense of community among its startups, its rising investment capital and the rapid growth in the number of its incubators, accelerators and pre-accelerators, which include Tetuan Valley, Seedrocket and Venture Labs (IE). The Google Campus and Wayra, Telefónica's accelerator, are also singled out by Nesta in relation to Madrid’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
In addition, it mentions Chamberí Valley, the network of established tech entrepreneurs in Madrid with turnover or funding of at least €1 million, and Madrid International Lab, a public-private collaboration centre sponsored by Madrid City Council that acts as a soft-landing space in the city centre for foreign startups.
With respect to areas with room for improvement, the index notes the need to improve the quality of Madrid’s research centres and the size of the local market.
Most attractive cities for digital entrepreneurs
London
Stockholm
Amsterdam
Helsinki
Paris
Berlin
Copenhagen
Dublin
Barcelona
Vienna
Munich
Cambridge
Bristol
Madrid
Oxford
Manchester
Brussels
Tallinn
Edinburgh
Hamburg
Lyon
Aarhus
Birmingham
Lisbon
Frankfurt
Eindhoven
Utrecht
Cologne
Malmö
Uppsala
2016 Ranking
Source: Nesta/EDF – European Digital City Index2016 and 2015
2015 Ranking
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
1
3
2
4
6
7
5
8
14
15
10
11
N/A
12
13
N/A
9
20
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
17
N/A
N/A
N/A
23
N/A
N/A
Innovative City Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202066 Innovative City67
26. Cities with the highest business confidence in the digitaltransformation environment
Connecting Commerce: Business Confidence in the Digital Environment was compiled by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a sister company to British magazine The Economist, at the request of Australian telco Telstra.
The report analyses business confidence by means of a survey of 2,620 executives from 11 different sectors in 45 cities around the world, conducted in 2017.
Madrid is the city with the 10th highest business confidence in the digital transformation environment in the world and the 2nd highest in Europe, according to The Economist
Madrid is considered the city with the 10th highest business confidence in the digital transformation environment in the world (10th/45), ahead of New York (11th) and Paris (20th) on a list led by Bangalore (India), San Francisco, Mumbai (India), New Delhi and Beijing. At the European level, the Spanish capital ranks 2nd, preceded only by London (which ranks 9th in the world).
The ranking focuses on 5 areas, evaluating innovation and entrepreneurship (15th/45), the financial environment (15th/45), people and skills (22nd/45), development of new technologies (16th/45) and ICT infrastructure (6th/45), an area in which the city of Madrid performed particularly well.
23% of the executives surveyed in Madrid cited cybersecurity and limited investment funding as some of the biggest challenges to overcome. The report also reveals that among the executives surveyed, the skills most in demand were those relating to digital security (38%) and big data analysis (23%).
Similarly, Madrid: A Digital Hub for Southern Europe 2018, a report published by Delfos Research and sponsored by Interxion and DE-CIX, notes that Madrid has the potential to become a leading hub for digital business and infrastructure in southern Europe, provided that it suitably increases ICT infrastructure investment for this purpose.
Cities leading the digital transformation
Bangalore
San Francisco
Mumbai
New Delhi
Beijing
Manila
Shanghai
Jakarta
London
Madrid
New York
Barcelona
Guangzhou
Singapore
Chicago
Copenhagen
Melbourne
Shenzhen
Sydney
Paris
Oslo
Johannesburg
Dubai
Milan
Brussels
Bangkok
Seoul
Antwerp
Amsterdam
Marseilles
2017 Ranking
Source: EIU – Connecting Commerce 2017
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Innovation and entrepreneurship /45
Financial environment /45
People and skills /45
Development of new technologies /45
ICT infrastructure /45
Areas
15
15
22
16
6
Source: EIU – Connecting Commerce 2017
Connected and Sustainable City
Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202068 69
Connected and Sustainable City Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202070 Connected and Sustainable City71
27. The world’s most sustainable cities
The 2018 Sustainable Cities Index published by the consultancy Arcadis analyses city sustainability from the perspective of the citizen, with the aim of shedding light on the challenges that cities face.
The report notes that the most sustainable cities are those that are most attractive for people to live, work or invest in, which ultimately makes them more competitive in terms of work, gives them a cultural identity and boosts public and private investment. Achieving this requires striking a balance that meets the social, environmental and economic needs of today without compromising those of the future.
Madrid is one the world's 30 most sustainable cities, according to Arcadis
The Sustainable Cities Index 2018 ranks 100 cities around the world according to three pillars of sustainability that are in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): People, Planet and Profit.
According to the index, Madrid is the 21st most sustainable city in the world (21st/100, down 1 spot), ahead of Tokyo (33rd), Sydney (34th), Toronto (30th) and Rome (40th) on a list topped by London, Stockholm, Edinburgh, Singapore and Vienna.
With respect to the 3 individual areas assessed, Madrid ranks 10th (10th/100, up 8 spots) for People, which evaluates sustainability from a social perspective. In the area of Planet, Madrid is the world’s 15th most environmentally sustainable city (15th/100, down 4). However, it ranks 49th (49th/100, down 15) for Profit, an area that evaluates sustainability from an economic and business perspective.
Along with 11 other cities from around the world, Madrid will be taking part in Improving Quality of Life in Cities 2020, a programme developed by Arcadis to improve cities’ quality of life through investment in sustainable solutions that are tailored to each city and address current challenges in the areas of transport, the environment, infrastructure, water supply, planning and design.
The city of Madrid’s most notable effort to meet the SDGs in the UN’s 2030 Agenda, however, is the new Madrid 360 Environmental Sustainability Strategy, which seeks to improve air quality by transforming the city, mobility and the government based on 6 strategic pillars: Sustainable Madrid, Efficient Madrid, Smart Madrid, Global Madrid, Healthy Madrid and Accessible Madrid.
The world’s most sustainable cities
London
Stockholm
Edinburgh
Singapore
Vienna
Zurich
Munich
Oslo
Hong Kong
Frankfurt
Copenhagen
Amsterdam
Seoul
New York
Paris
San Francisco
Hamburg
Berlin
Seattle
Dublin
Madrid
Boston
Prague
Taipei
Ottawa
Vancouver
Rotterdam
Barcelona
Manchester
Toronto
2018 Ranking
Source: Arcadis – Sustainable Cities Index 2018 and 2016
2016 Ranking
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
5
3
13
2
4
1
10
N/A
16
6
14
11
7
26
15
39
8
17
43
35
20
34
9
48
N/A
23
19
24
25
33
Areas
People2016 /1002018 /100
Planet2016 /1002018 /100
Profit2016 /1002018 /100
15
49
10
11
34
18
Source: Arcadis – Sustainable Cities Index 2018 and 2016
Connected and Sustainable City Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202072 Connected and Sustainable City73
28. Cities with the best sustainable mobility systems
Cities with the best sustainable mobility
Hong Kong
Zurich
Paris
Seoul
Prague
Vienna
London
Singapore
Stockholm
Frankfurt
Amsterdam
Copenhagen
Tokyo
Munich
Lyon
Beijing
Edinburgh
Milan
Shenzhen
Hamburg
Barcelona
Berlin
New York
Madrid
Rotterdam
San Francisco
Shanghai
Vancouver
Warsaw
Taipei
2017 Ranking
Source: Arcadis - Sustainable Cities Mobility Index 2017
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Areas
People2017 /100
Planet2017 /100
Profit2017 /100
7
13
73
People: Social impact of mobilityPlanet: Environmental impact of mobilityProfit: Economic impact of mobility
Source: Arcadis - Sustainable Cities Mobility Index 2017
The international consultancy Arcadis publishes an index of the world’s most sustainable cities in terms of mobility, which evaluates the performance of the mobility systems of 100 cities around the world.
The contents of the report make it clear that although a given city may have economic wealth, size and age, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will have sustainable urban mobility. Rather, it is the cities that invest in innovation which enjoy sustainable mobility and reap major benefits in terms of quality of life.
Madrid is viewed as one of world’s leading cities in terms of incentives for the use and purchase of electric vehicles, according to Arcadis
In the first edition of the report, Sustainable Cities Mobility Index 2017, the city of Madrid ranked 24th for urban mobility (24th/100), ahead of Washington D.C. (42nd), Dublin (44th) and Toronto (54th).
Hong Kong took the top spot in the global ranking, thanks to its innovative metro and high use of public transport. It was followed by Zurich and Paris, for their infrastructure performance, efficient metro systems and commitment to green technology. Seoul and Prague ranked 4th and 5th, respectively.
The index is based on 23 indicators across 3 areas: People (7th/100), Planet (13th/100) and Profit (73rd/100). Each indicator represents an aspect of urban mobility, ranging from public infrastructure spending to the affordability of public transport.
Madrid’s top score (7th/100) was in the area of People, which measures the impact of mobility systems on users and analyses transport coverage, safety, operating hours and the popularity of the system. Madrid's solid performance was due in particular to the integration of digital technology into its transport network, making it easier to use, and the improvements carried out to make it accessible to people with reduced mobility.
In the Planet area, which measures transport systems’ environmental impact, Madrid was assessed as a proactive city with incentives for the use and purchase of electric vehicles, as well as measures to cut air pollution and transport-related emissions. Although it has more green spaces than other European cities, in terms of city coverage Madrid's total green space is still well below that of Zurich or Frankfurt. Even so, it stands out for its investment in cycling infrastructure, which enables the reduction of traffic and greenhouse gas emissions.
With respect to Profit, which analyses the economic impact of mobility, the report highlighted that Madrid’s urban transport system is more affordable than those of other European cities like London and Amsterdam, although its operating hours are not as extensive as those of cities such as London, which has a broader window of accessibility. With regard to the efficiency and safety of the mobility systems needed to facilitate growth and business development, Madrid also ranked well below cities like Zurich and Paris.
Madrid's efforts to improve its sustainable mobility in recent years have positioned the city as the capital of electric car sharing, turning it into a testing ground for implementation of this service with zero-emission vehicles in other Spanish and European cities.
Madrid is also part of the Waze Connected Citizens Programme, and it works with Waze and Madrid-based company Carto to exchange traffic information in real time with the aim of improving mobility in the city to benefit its citizens.
Connected and Sustainable City Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202074 Connected and Sustainable City75
29. Cities with the best public transport in Europe
The Barometer of Public Transport 2019, based on 2017 data and published by the Association of European Metropolitan Transport Authorities (EMTA), was compiled by Madrid's transport authority, the Madrid Regional Transport Consortium (CRTM).
The report evaluates and compares the quality of public transport in 25 metropolitan areas in Europe, in addition to the area serviced by the Metropolitan Regional Transportation Authority in Montreal, Canada. These areas have a GDP of at least €1 million and a combined population of over 90 million inhabitants.
The EMTA Barometer consists of 217 indicators across 9 dimensions that assess the general characteristics of the metropolitan area and its mobility, transport supply and demand, service quality, transport fleet, equipment, fares and funding.
If we consider all of the indicators analysed and average the rank of each metropolitan area for each indicator, Paris, London, Berlin and Madrid (4th/26) stand out as the cities with the best public transport and mobility in Europe in their respective regions.
According to the Barometer, Madrid is the city with the 3rd largest population and surface area in Europe, after London and Berlin, and the city with the 12th highest monthly GDP per capita.
In terms of the number of journeys made on public transport in 2017, the city of Madrid ranks 4th in Europe (1.497B), after Paris (4.694B), London (3.99B) and Berlin (2.125B). With respect to individual modes of transport, the city of Madrid ranks 3rd in Europe for bus journeys (661M) and commuter train journeys (193M), and 4th for the number of metro journeys (661M).
Annual demand for suburban buses in Madrid is the highest of any city in Europe (3.088B passengers/km), and it ranks 4th for annual metro demand (3.948B
passengers/km) and commuter train demand (3.331B passengers/km), and 9th for annual demand for urban buses (1.181B passengers/km).
With respect to daily figures, Madrid ranks 4th in Europe for the number of public transport journeys made each day (7.7M) and 5th for the number of trips made each day using sustainable modes of transport, including cycling and walking.
According to the report, the city of Madrid has Europe's 2nd most extensive metro network (289 km, preceded only by that of London, at 402 km). It also has Europe's 3rd largest commuter train network (361 km) and its 7th most extensive bus network (10,212 km).
With respect to accessibility, Madrid stands out as the city with the 3rd largest number of metro stops or stations in Europe (242), the 5th largest number of commuter train stations (92) and the 6th largest number of bus stops (12,983).
In terms of operational costs per inhabitant (total cost), Madrid ranks 8th (€345). London (€959), Stockholm (€906) and Paris (€777) are the cities with the highest operational costs. As for the cost of a single journey ticket, Madrid is the city with the 6th lowest fares in Europe (€1.50). For the cost of a monthly travel pass (€54.60), it ranks 13th.
With regard to government spending on public transport, regional subsidies in Madrid were the 3rd highest in Europe in 2017 (€1.674B, covering 75% of total operational costs), followed by Berlin (€1.5B) which ranked 4th. London (€2.781B) and Paris (€1.839B) were the regions that received the most public subsidies in 2017.
Regions with the best public transport in Europe
Paris (Île-de-France Mobilités Paris et Île-de-France)
London (Transport for London)
Berlin (Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Branderburg GmbH)
Madrid (Consorcio Regional de Transportes de Madrid)
Barcelona (Autoritat del Transport Metropolità Barcelona)
Vienna (Verkehrsverbund Ost-Region)
Frankfurt (Rhein-Main Verkehrsverbund Frankfurt)
Stockholm (Stockholms Lokaltrafic)
Budapest (Budapesti Közlekedèsi Központ)
Montreal (Autorité Régionale de Transport Métropolitain de Montreal)
Warsaw (Zarzad transportu Miejskiego w Warszawie)
Prague (Prazska Integronavá Doprava)
Copenhagen (Trafikselskabet Movia Copenhagen)
Stuttgart (Verband Region Stuttgart)
Oslo (RUTER)
Helsinki (Helsingin Seudun Liikenne)
Birmingham (West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority)
Turin (Agenzia della Mobilità Piemontese)
Valencia (Autoritat de Transport Metropolità de València)
Bilbao (Consorcio de Transportes de Bizkaia)
Lyon (Syndicat Mixte des Transports pour le Rhône et l'Agglomération Lyonnaise)
Amsterdam (Vervoerregio Amsterdam)
Manchester (Transport for Greater Manchester)
Mallorca (Consorci Transports Mallorca)
Rotterdam/The Hague (Metropolitan Area Rotterdam Den Haag)
Vilnius (Susisiekimo Paslaugos)
2017 Ranking
City/Transport Authority
Source: EMTA– Barometer of Public Transport 2019 (2017 data)
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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Connected and Sustainable City Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202076 Connected and Sustainable City77
30. Cities with the best quality public transport in Europe
Omio, a multimodal transport and accommodation booking platform, conducted a study of the urban transport options in the website’s 30 most frequently booked destinations to determine which cities have the best quality urban mobility systems in terms of value for money.
Madrid ranks 12th (12th/30; 53.64 points) on Omio’s 2019 list of the cities with the best quality public transport in Europe, ahead of Amsterdam (19th), Rome (20th), Stockholm (25th) and London (26th). The top spots go to Zurich, Berlin, Vienna, Milan and Paris.
Madrid is viewed as the city with the 12th best public transport in Europe, according to Omio
The study is based on 14 indicators that assess 3 areas: public transport, shared mobility transport and the cost of different transport options. Madrid is the city with the 25th best public transport network in Europe (25th/30, score of 11/100). This area is assessed based on tram coverage (score of 0.02/1), bus coverage (0.05/1) and commuter train coverage (0.15/1).
With regard to shared mobility transport, an area that evaluates sustainable transport alternatives, Madrid has the 8th best shared mobility economy in Europe (8th/30; 63.33/100). This area is assessed based on the number of licensed taxis (score of 0.41/1) and companies that provide shared bicycles (0.29/1), electric scooters (0.63/1) and shared motorbikes (0.33/1).
Madrid is the city with the 3rd most affordable transport in Europe (3rd/30; score of 90.6/100). To assess this area, the study analyses the price of a single ticket (score of 0.19/1), a monthly pass (0.23/1), a shared bicycle (0.17/1), an electric scooter (0.28/1), a shared motorbike (0.37/1) and a taxi ride (0.19/1).
In addition to the affordability of transport in the Spanish capital, Omio singles out its airport and the wide variety of transport options for easy and direct travel to any point in the country.
Cities with the best public transport in Europe
Zurich
Berlin
Vienna
Milan
Paris
Porto
Lisbon
Brussels
Warsaw
Frankfurt
Munich
Madrid
Barcelona
Lyon
Budapest
Manchester
Prague
Valencia
Amsterdam
Rome
Genoa
Copenhagen
Marseilles
Bratislava
Stockholm
London
Venice
Salzburg
Edinburgh
Bruges
2019Ranking
Source: Omio – Inner City Transport Index 2019
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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Overallscore
100
78.96
78.43
77.18
75.99
74.11
72.34
65.53
65.04
57.88
56.82
53.64
52.15
51.77
51.04
50.31
48.99
46.75
46.52
41.97
40.84
33.19
24.62
22.80
22.41
20.61
16.22
13.05
12.27
–
Areas
Public transport2019 /30
Shared mobility transport 2019 /30
Cost of transport options 2019 /30
25
8
3
Source: Omio – Inner City Transport Index 2019
Connected and Sustainable City Madrid Global Ranking Report 202078 Connected and Sustainable City79Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020
31. Cities with the best airportconnectivity in the world
Every year Skytrax, a London-based organisation that evaluates international air transport, gives out the World Airport Awards, which rate airport quality based on a satisfaction survey carried out in more than 550 airports around the world.
Skytrax's 2019 index of the world’s best airports, compiled based on users’ votes, ranks Adolfo Suarez-Madrid Barajas as the 35th best airport in the world (35th/100, up 8 spots).
Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport has the 14th highest international passenger traffic in the world, according to ACI
Adolfo Suarez-Madrid Barajas was also named Best Airport in Southern Europe and Best Airport with 50-60 million passengers at the World Airports Awards 2019. Its Terminal 4 (T4) was the 9th best airport terminal in the world in 2019.
At the European level, Airports Council International (ACI) publishes an annual report that ranks airports by level of passenger traffic. Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas had the 6th highest level of passenger traffic in the world in 2018 (57.8M), according to the Top 30 European Airports 2018 ranking.
At the global level, the World Airport Traffic Report 2018 found that Madrid’s airport had the 14th highest level of passenger traffic in the world that year (41.8M).
According to data published by Aena, Adolfo Suárez-Madrid Barajas Airport has the highest volume of passengers, cargo and aircraft movements in Spain.
In 2019 it was used by 61.7 million passengers in total (+6.6% from 2018). 44.9 million of them were international passengers (+7.3%). In terms of operations, 426,376 aircraft movements (+4%) and 558,566 tonnes of cargo (+7.4%) were recorded.
The airport can serve 70 million passengers per year, offers 406 different routes (67 national and 339 international) and flies to 218 destinations in 74 countries. Of the 81 airlines that operate out of the airport, 13 are low cost carriers.
In terms of geographical location, the airport is just 12 kilometres from Madrid’s city centre, which strengthens its position as a hub and gateway between Latin America and the continents of Europe and Asia.
In 2018, Adolfo-Suarez Madrid Barajas Airport took first place at the awards given out annually by the magazine Avion Revue Internacional (ARI), which recognise excellence in the aviation sector.
Best airports in the world
Singapore Changi
Tokyo Haneda
Seoul Incheon
Doha Hamad
Hong Kong
Centrair Nagoya
Munich
London Heathrow
Tokyo Narita
Zurich
Kansai
Frankfurt
Taiwan Taoyuan
Amsterdam Schiphol
Copenhagen
Shanghai Hongqiao
Vancouver
Brisbane
Vienna
Helsinki Vantaa
Sydney
Cape Town
Melbourne
Dubai
Cologne/Bonn
London
Auckland
Hamburg
Durban
Paris CDG
Madrid Barajas
2019 Ranking
Source: Skytrax: World's Top 100 Airports 2019
2018 Ranking
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9
10
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14
15
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20
21
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23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
35
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3
2
5
4
7
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8
11
9
13
10
15
12
19
18
14
22
17
16
20
21
27
23
31
28
24
25
26
37
43
Vibrant City
Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202080 81
Madrid Global Ranking Report 202082 83 Vibrant CityVibrant City
32. European cities with the most overnight stays (bednights)
The association European Cities Marketing (ECM) publishes a report analysing tourist behaviour in 119 European cities, which it ranks based on the number of bednights, or overnight stays, by domestic and international travellers in all forms of paid accommodation.
According to the ECM Benchmarking Report 2018-2019, Madrid was the city with the 6th highest number of combined domestic and international bednights in 2018 (6th/119), with 19,832,390 recorded in total.
Madrid was the European city with the 6th highest number of total bednights in 2018, according to ECM
Although the Spanish capital dropped one spot with respect to the previous edition of the ranking, it still finished ahead of Vienna (9th; 17.4M), Munich (10th; 17.1M) and Amsterdam (11th; 16.9M) on a list topped by London (71.1M), Paris (52.5M), Berlin (32.8M), Rome (28.5M) and Istanbul (20.9M).
In 2018, total bednights in Madrid rose by 3% in comparison to 2017. Istanbul (20.3%), Zagreb (11.1%), Brussels (10%), Porto (9.9%) and Nuremberg (9.4%) were the cities where total bednights rose the most.
In terms of international bednights, i.e. overnight stays by international travellers, Madrid ranked 10th in Europe in 2018 (10th/119, down 1), ahead of Lisbon (12th), Munich (13th) and Copenhagen (18th) on a list whose top spots
went to London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona and Prague. According to ECM, 12,188,620 international bednights were recorded in Madrid in 2018, up 3% from the previous edition of the ranking. The report also identified Madrid as the European city with the 10th highest growth in total bednights between 2014 and 2018 (20.1%), ahead of London (0.8%), Paris (7.3%), Rome (12.5%), Barcelona (12,9%) and Berlin (14.6%).
With respect to international bednights, the city of Madrid had the 3rd highest growth in Europe between 2014 and 2018 (34.9%), preceded only by Milan (44.3%) and Amsterdam (38.1%).
According to data published in Anuario de Turismo: Madrid 2018, an annual tourism report, 21.4M total bednights were recorded in the city of Madrid in 2018 (+1.6%). International travellers accounted for 60.9% of total bednights (+0.2% year-on-year), while domestic travellers accounted for 39.1% (+2.5%).
The average stay in Madrid was 2.1 nights. International tourists spent an average of 2.4 nights in Madrid, compared to 1.8 nights for domestic tourists.
Cities with the most total bednights
London
Paris
Berlin
Rome
Istanbul
Madrid
Barcelona
Prague
Vienna
Munich
Amsterdam
Stockholm
Hamburg
Milan
Lisbon
Budapest
Frankfurt
Copenhagen
Palma de Mallorca
Venice
Florence
Funchal
Brussels
Warsaw
Seville
Cologne
Turin
Lyon
Valencia
Zurich
2018/19 Ranking
Source: European Cities Marketing Benchmarking Report
2017/18 Ranking
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18
19
20
21
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25
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27
28
29
30
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2
3
4
8
5
6
7
9
11
10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
N/A
25
24
26
27
29
33
Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020
Vibrant City Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202084 Vibrant City85
33. Cities with the most international tourists
The Top 100 City Destinations Ranking 2019, compiled by British strategic market analysis consultancy Euromonitor International, ranks the cities that received the largest number of international tourists in 2018. International tourists are construed as travellers from other countries who spent at least 24 hours in the city for leisure, business or family purposes and remained for no more than 12 months.
In 2018 Madrid was the 47th most visited city in the world and the 14th in Europe, according to Euromonitor International
According to the report, Madrid was the 47th most visited city in the world (47th/100, down 4 spots) and the 14th most visited in Europe. The top destinations were Hong Kong (29.2M), Bangkok (24.1M), London (19.2M), Macao (18.9M) and Singapore (18.5M). According to Euromonitor International, Madrid received 5.4 million international tourists in 2018, 3.2% more than in the previous year. Furthermore, according to Anuario de Turismo: Madrid 2018, an annual tourism report published by Madrid City Council, the Spanish capital received a total of 10,207,572 travellers in 2018, up 2.7% from the previous year.
46.7% of Madrid's visitors in 2018 were domestic tourists (4.7M), while 53.3% were international tourists (5.4M). Year-on-year growth for these groups was 2.1% and 3.2%, respectively.
Madrid’s international tourists came from: USA (12.5%), Italy (6.9%), UK (6.8%), France (6.8%), Germany (4.9%), Portugal (3.7%), Argentina (3.5%), Mexico (3.3%), China (3.2%) and Brazil (2.4%).
Between January and December 2018, Madrid's visitors spent €9.322 billion in the region, 5.3% more than in 2017, with average daily expenditure of €243, up 10.2% from the previous year.
Cities most visited by international tourists
Hong Kong
Bangkok
London
Macao
Singapore
Paris
Dubai
New York
Kuala Lumpur
Istanbul
Delhi
Antalya
Shenzhen
Mumbai
Phuket
Rome
Tokyo
Pattaya
Taipei
Mecca
Guangzhou
Prague
Medina
Seoul
Amsterdam
Agra
Miami
Osaka
Los Angeles
Shanghai
Madrid
2019 Ranking
Source: Euromonitor International – Top 100 CityDestinations Ranking
2018 Ranking
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47
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9
12
13
16
10
19
11
15
14
25
17
21
18
20
N/A
24
23
29
22
30
27
26
43
Vibrant City Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202086 Vibrant City87
Every year, the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) publishes a global report containing statistics on the destinations that have hosted the most international conferences.
The ICCA's annual report only takes into account meetings that are organised by international associations, are held on a regular or periodic basis, are attended by at least 50 people and rotate between at least 3 countries.
The city of Madrid hosted the 3rd largest number of international meetings in the world in 2018, according to the ICCA
Madrid ranks 3rd in the world (3rd/465), preceded only by Paris and Vienna, in the 2018 ICCA Statistics Report. It hosted 165 meetings in 2018 and climbed 4 spots with respect to the previous edition of the report. As regards the number of meeting participants, the same report ranks Madrid 9th (down 5 spots), with 71,885 participants in total.
In addition to ranking individual cities, the ICCA also ranks countries by the number of international meetings hosted. According to the report, Spain was the 3rd most popular destination for international meetings in 2018, hosting 595 in total.
The Union of International Associations (UIA), a research institute that operates under the mandate of the United Nations, compiles another key annual business or MICE tourism ranking based on a broad range of data relating to over 12,000 cities in 167 countries.
The ranking assesses the number of different types of international meetings held in each city. The term “meetings” is construed according to a broad definition with no requirements as to frequency, rotation, minimum number of participants or whether the meetings are governmental in nature.
The UIA International Meetings Statistics Report 2019 ranks the city of Madrid 4th in Europe and 7th in the world (7th/1,197) for the number of international meetings hosted in 2018, ahead of London (8th), Copenhagen (12th), Berlin (13th) and Amsterdam (22nd) on a list topped by Singapore, Brussels, Seoul, Vienna and Tokyo.¹
According to a MICE tourism market study conducted by Madrid Convention Bureau, 23,330 meetings were held in Madrid in 2018 (15% more than in 2017), with a total of 1.28 million participants (+11%).
At the 2019 edition of the World Travel Awards (WTA), which recognise excellence in tourism, Madrid was named the World's Leading Meetings & Conference Destination. It was also the leading destination in Europe in 2018 and 2019. Further awards include the Smart Stars Award 2019, given to Madrid Convention Bureau (MCB) by Smart Meetings, one of the North American business tourism sector's most influential magazines.
¹ With 190 “Type A” meetings, 201 “Type A + B” meetings and 208 “Type A + C” meetings.
Cities with the most participants in
international meetings
Cities with the most international meetings
Barcelona
Paris
Vienna
Munich
Berlin
Amsterdam
Toronto
Copenhagen
Madrid
Singapore
Lisbon
Buenos Aires
Seoul
London
Montreal
Bangkok
Dublin
Tokyo
Sydney
Hong Kong
Beijing
Prague
Rio de Janeiro
Stockholm
Kuala Lumpur
Taipei
Dubai
Athens
Vancouver
Las Vegas
Paris
Vienna
Madrid
Barcelona
Berlin
Lisbon
London
Singapore
Prague
Bangkok
Buenos Aires
Hong Kong
Amsterdam
Tokyo
Seoul
Copenhagen
Brussels
Dublin
Stockholm
Budapest
Taipei
Beijing
Rome
Athens
Montreal
Sydney
Edinburgh
Shanghai
Warsaw
Toronto
2018 Ranking
2018 Ranking
Source: ICCA Statistics Report 2018 and 2017
Source: ICCA Statistics Report 2018 and 2017
2017 Ranking
2017 Ranking
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13
15
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18
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20
22
22
24
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25
27
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30
1
3
2
N/A
5
9
22
11
4
6
8
15
12
7
19
18
17
41
28
16
31
10
33
43
29
39
N/A
34
21
N/A
2
2
7
1
4
9
5
6
8
17
11
13
16
18
10
15
22
14
19
12
26
25
20
26
20
26
32
39
23
30
34. The world's top cities for business tourism
Vibrant City Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202088 Vibrant City89
35. Europe’s most cultural and creative cities
The Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor is an interactive tool designed by the European Commission for the purpose of comparing and fostering the cultural and creative potential of 190 cities in 30 European countries. The monitor reveals that the most cultural and creative cities are also the most prosperous.
The Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor 2019 ranks Madrid 11th (11th/20, up 2 spots) among the cities with over 1 million inhabitants (XXL cities), ahead of Rome (14th), Lyon (15th), Brussels (16th) and Rotterdam (18th). The top spots go to Paris, Munich, London, Milan and Berlin.
Madrid is the 11th most cultural and creative city in Europe, according to the European Commission
The index assesses 29 indicators across 9 areas, measuring how dynamic cities are from a cultural, social and economic perspective.
Madrid ranks 15th for cultural vibrancy (15th/20, down 2 spots), which measures a city’s cultural “pulse” in terms of its cultural infrastructure (10th/20) and participation in culture (18th/20). Indicators in this area include monuments (12.1/100), museums and art galleries (9.4/100), cinemas (12.6/100), concerts and musicals (31.9/100) and theatres (15.6/100).
In the area of creative economy, which evaluates the extent to which cultural and creative sectors contribute to a city’s economy in terms of employment and innovation, Madrid ranks 12th (12th/20, up 3 spots), and stands out on the indicator for creative and knowledge-based jobs (4th/20).
In the enabling economy area, which identifies tangible and intangible assets that help cities attract creative talent and stimulate cultural engagement, Madrid ranks 6th (6th/20, no change). It scores particularly well on the indicators that assess human capital and education (5th/20), openness, tolerance and trust (4th/20), and local and international connections (4th/20).
Madrid stands out for its openness and tolerance, the trust it inspires and its human capital and education, according to the Monitor
The monitor highlights the wealth of museums located in Madrid, which was the European Capital of Culture in 1992. The city's Golden Triangle of Art includes the Reina Sofía Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Prado Museum, which has one of the best European art collections in the world.
According to the 2019 edition of the monitor, the “ideal Cultural and Creative City in Europe” would have the cultural venues and facilities of Weimar (Germany), the cultural participation and attractiveness of Florence (Italy), the creative and knowledge-based jobs, human capital and education, and local and international connections of Paris (France), the intellectual property and innovation of Eindhoven (Netherlands), the new creative sector jobs of Budapest (Hungary), the openness, tolerance and trust of Glasgow (United Kingdom) and the quality of governance of Aarhus (Denmark).
The most cultural and creative cities
Paris
Munich
London
Milan
Berlin
Vienna
Budapest
Prague
Barcelona
Hamburg
Madrid
Warsaw
Cologne
Rome
Lyon
Brussels
Bucharest
Rotterdam
Birmingham
Sofia
2019 Ranking
Source: European Union – Statistical Assessment of the Cultural and Creative Cities Index 2019/2017
2017 Ranking
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5
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7
8
9
10
11
12
13
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17
18
19
20
1
2
7
4
8
6
10
3
9
12
13
16
14
17
11
5
15
N/A
18
20
Areas
Cultural vibrancy2017 /212019 /20
Creative economy2017 /212019 /20
Enabling economy2017 /212019 /20
12
6
15
15
6
13
Source: European Commission – Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor2019- 2017
Vibrant City Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202090 Vibrant City91
Every year since 2002, the American travel website TripAdvisor has given out its Travelers’ Choice Awards in a range of tourism industry categories, based on the opinions and comments of the over 500 million travellers in the global TripAdvisor community.
The 2018 Travelers' Choice Awards for Museums rank the world's best museums based on the opinions of TripAdvisor users.
The Prado is the 5th best museum in the world, according to TripAdvisor users
The awards rank the Prado as the 5th best museum in the world (5th/10, up 4 spots), ahead of the Acropolis Museum (Athens) and the Louvre (Paris). The top spots go to the Musée d'Orsay (Paris), the 9/11 Memorial & Museum (New York), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) and the British Museum (London).
Similarly, every year a list of the world’s most popular museums and cultural and leisure centres is published jointly by the international firm AECOM and the TEA.
The Theme Index and Museum Index Report 2018 ranks the Reina Sofía Museum 17th (17th/20, no change in rank) among the world’s most visited museums (3.9M visitors). The top spots go to the Louvre (Paris, 10.2M), the National Museum of China (Beijing, 8.6M), the Metropolitan Museum (New York, 7.3M), the Vatican Museums (Rome, 6.7M) and the National Air and Space Museum (Washington DC, 6.2M).
In addition, The Art Newspaper compiles an annual index that ranks the world’s museums and exhibitions by number of visitors. According to the 2018 Art's Most Popular Exhibition and Museum Visitor Figures, the Reina Sofía Museum (11th/100) and the Prado Museum (13th/100) were among the world's 100 most visited museums in 2018.
Madrid is considered one of the world's top destinations due to its cultural richness and lifestyle. The Spanish capital is home to 74 museums. 3 of them in particular stand out for having received a combined total of over 7 million visitors in 2018 alone: the Reina Sofía Museum (3.9M), the Prado Museum (2.9M) and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (927,907 visitors).
36. The world’s best museums Cities with the best museums in the world
Musée d’Orsay – Paris, France
9/11 Memorial – New York, USA
Metropolitan Museum of Art – New York, USA
British Museum – London, UK
Prado Museum – Madrid, Spain
Acropolis Museum – Athens, Greece
Louvre Museum – Paris, France
National WWII Museum – New Orleans, USA
National Museum of Anthropology – Mexico City, Mexico
War Remnants Museum – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
National Gallery – London, UK
Vasa Museum – Stockholm, Sweden
Uffizi Gallery – Florence, Italy
Rijksmuseum (Dutch National Museum) – Amsterdam, Netherlands
State Heritage Museum and Winter Palace – Saint Petersburg, Russia
Van Gogh Museum – Amsterdam, Netherlands
Art Institute of Chicago – Chicago, USA
Egyptian Museum – Turin, Italy
Museum of New Zealand – Wellington, New Zealand
Larco Museum – Lima, Peru
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum – Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Museum of Qin Shi Huang Terracotta Warriors and Horses – Xi’an, China
Gold Museum – Bogotá, Colombia
Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial – Jerusalem, Israel
Pinacoteca do Estado – São Paulo, Brazil
2018 Ranking
Source: TripAdvisor – 2018 Travelers' Choice Award-Winning Museums Around The World
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Vibrant City Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202092 Vibrant City93
37. Cities with the best food in the world
American travel website TripAdvisor ranks the world's top 10 cities to eat in based on the opinions, reviews, ratings and comments of the more than 500 million travellers in TripAdvisor’s global community.
On TripAdvisor’s list of the 10 Best Food Cities & Food Tours in the World in 2018, Madrid is the 8th best city to eat in, ranking ahead of Tokyo and Bangkok. The top spots go to Rome, Florence, Paris, Barcelona and New Orleans.
Madrid is the world’s 8th best city to eat in, according to TripAdvisor users
With respect to culinary experiences, i.e. food tours, the Madrid Tapas and Wine Tasting Tour is the 6th most highly rated by TripAdvisor’s users (6th/10).
Similarly, online business catering platform Caterwings has published a study of the world’s 100 top culinary destinations, based on ratings from over 20,000 journalists and food critics.
The first and only edition, Best Food Destinations 2017, ranks Madrid as the 7th best food destination in the world (7th/100, score of 7.47/10) and the 3rd best in Europe, on a list topped by San Sebastián (8.09/10), Tokyo (7.98/10), New York (7.81/10), Barcelona (7.72/10) and Singapore (7.58).
The ranking is based on 11 indicators that evaluate 4 areas: input of critics, accessibility and variety, quality, and affordability.
Madrid's best score was on the two indicators in the food critic input category: quality of service (13th/100) and culinary scene (6th/100).
There are 24 Michelin-starred restaurants in Madrid, according to the Michelin Guide 2020
Madrid’s scores were above average on indicators that gauge the percentage of high-end restaurants (18th/100), affordability for locals (29th/100), affordability for visitors (37th/100), diversity of cuisine (34th/100) and restaurant density (43rd/100).
However, the ranking highlights some areas with room for improvement in Madrid, such as hours worked to afford a restaurant meal (63rd/100), vegan and vegetarian options (75th/100), ratio of fast food outlets to restaurants (79th/100) and the quality of the city’s street food and food trucks (90th/100).
The quality and variety of Madrid’s restaurants make it a global culinary benchmark. It has over 3,100 restaurants, 24 of which receive stars in the Michelin Guide 2020: one 3-star restaurant, five 2-star restaurants and eighteen 1-star restaurants. The Spanish capital also has 12 restaurants over 100 years old, most notably Casa Botín. Founded in 1725, it is considered the world’s oldest restaurant.
Cities with the best culinary offerings in the world
The world's best food cities
San Sebastián
Tokyo
New York
Barcelona
Singapore
Paris
Madrid
Lima
London
Munich
Las Vegas
Osaka
Los Angeles
Stockholm
San Francisco
Oslo
Seoul
Amsterdam
Copenhagen
Hamburg
Bangkok
Nice
Frankfurt
Dubai
Rome
Girona
Vienna
Kyoto
Hong Kong
Berlin
Rome
Florence
Paris
Barcelona
New Orleans
New York
Venice
Madrid
Tokyo
Bangkok
2017 Ranking
2018 Ranking
Source: Caterwings – Best Food Destinations 2017
Source: TripAdvisor – 10 Best Food Cities in the World 2018
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Vibrant City Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202094 Vibrant City95
38. The world's top citiesfor international retailers
Most attractive cities for retailers
New York
Los Angeles
Tokyo
San Francisco
Singapore
Chicago
Miami
Hong Kong
Shanghai
London
Boston
Seattle
Paris
Amsterdam
Seoul
Sydney
Dubai
Philadelphia
Beijing
Dublin
Munich
Vienna
Toronto
Melbourne
Zurich
Madrid
Berlin
Copenhagen
Barcelona
Stockholm
2019 Ranking
Source: Modaes.es – Hot Retail Cities 2019 and 2018
2018 Ranking
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Online newspaper Modaes.es publishes the Hot Retail Cities report, which ranks the world’s most attractive cities for retailers with the aim of fostering their retail activities and supporting companies’ strategic decision-making processes regarding expansion.
According to Hot Retail Cities 2019, Madrid is the 8th most attractive city for retailers in Europe and the 26th most attractive in the world (26th/100, up 10 spots), ahead of Berlin (27th), Copenhagen (28th) and Milan (37th) on a list topped by New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, San Francisco and Singapore.
Madrid is the world's 26th most attractive city for retailers, with the 14th biggest retailer presence
The study evaluates 50 indicators across 9 areas: demographics, economy, politics, socio-economic environment, tourism, fashion, air quality and “trendy city” appeal.
Madrid’s 10-spot climb with respect to the previous edition was largely owing to its status as Spain’s capital, its socio-economic environment, its population and its stability. The report highlights that Madrid continues to gain appeal for international retailers due to its favourable economic situation and long-term outlook. New shopping centres have opened in the city and the price of premises is on the rise. The report also cites the major urban planning initiatives that are set to transform the city in the coming years.
On a related note, according to the Global Luxury Retail 2019 Outlook published by international consultancy Savills, Madrid was the city with the 3rd highest growth in luxury retail rents in 2018, preceded only by Paris and London.
Meanwhile, the 2018 edition of How Global is the Business of Retail?, a report published by American consultancy CBRE, ranks the world’s cities in terms of retailer presence.
With a “percentage of retailers present” of 41.3% in 2017, the report ranks Madrid as the city with the 4th biggest retailer presence in Europe and the 14th in the world (14th/193), ahead of Berlin (18th), Los Angeles (20th), Milan (21st) and Munich (23rd). The top spots go to Dubai, Shanghai, London, Abu Dhabi and Paris.
Vibrant City Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202096 Vibrant City97
39. Europe’s best cities for shopping
The Globe Shopper City Index - Europe is a key shoppping tourism report. It was commissioned from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in 2011 by Global Blue, an international company that provides international tourists with the Tax Free Shopping service. The first and only edition of the report ranks the city of Madrid as Europe's 2nd best shopping destination, tied with Barcelona and preceded only by London. The Spanish capital ranks ahead of Paris (4th), Rome (5th) and Milan (11th) in the report.
Madrid is Europe’s 2nd best shopping destination according to Turismo de Compras 2019, a shopping tourism report published by Ostelea
The study evaluates 22 indicators across 5 areas: shops (3rd/33), prices (12th/33), convenience (11th/33), hotels and transport (5th/33) and, finally, culture and climate (6th/33, tied with Lisbon).
It cites Madrid’s climate, food, convenience, variety and relatively cheap brand-name items as its biggest shopping tourism attractions.
According to Anuario de Turismo: Madrid 2018, an annual tourism report, some of Europe's best shopping is found in Madrid, which boasts over 46,000 shops.
For its part, Ostelea Tourism and Hospitality School, which has a campus in the Spanish capital, publishes a report that evaluates the current state of shopping tourism as well as its future outlook.
The report, Turismo de Compras 2019, ranks Madrid as Europe’s 2nd best shopping destination (2nd/33, with a score of 67.1), tied with Barcelona and only slightly behind London, which ranks 1st (67.3). Madrid also scored slightly higher than Paris (65.5), which ranks 4th.
According to Ostelea, Madrid has 38% of Spain’s tax-free shopping, and 3% of the global share. Average daily tourist expenditure in Madrid’s retail outlets is less than 50 USD, although the most expensive average shopping receipts in Spain (1,011 EUR) come from the Madrid neighbourhood of Barrio de Salamanca. International tourists account for roughly 57% of all shopping tourism expenditure in Madrid.
Europe’s best cities for shopping
Areas
Shops2011 /33
Affordability2011 /33
Convenience2011 /33
Hotels and transport2011 /33
Culture and climate2011 /33
3
12
11
5
6
Source: EIU/Global Blue– The Globe Shopper City Index 2011
London
Madrid
Barcelona
Paris
Rome
Berlin
Lisbon
Amsterdam
Prague
Budapest
Milan
Vienna
Istanbul
Dublin
Brussels
Athens
Munich
Copenhagen
Moscow
Stockholm
Hamburg
Lyon
Bratislava
Sofia
Bucharest
Kiev
Edinburgh
Warsaw
Saint Petersburg
Helsinki
2011 Ranking
Source: EIU/Global Blue– The Globe Shopper City Index 2011
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Appendix I: Madrid in the Rankings:Results
Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 202098 99
Appendix I: Madrid in the Rankings – Results Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020100 Appendix I: Madrid in the Rankings – Results101
CurrentRank
Ranking and Publisher Yearof Pub.
Change Previous Rank
13/48 Global power citiesMori Memorial Foundation – Global Power Cities Index 2019
2019 9 22/44 (2018)
15/130 The world’s most influential citiesKearney – Global Cities Index 2019
2019 2 13/135 (2018)
45/130 Cities with the highest growth potential Kearney – Global Cities Index 2019
2019 4 49/135 (2018)
16/30 Cities with the best prospects in the world PWC – Cities of Opportunity 2016
2016 1 15/30 (2014)
19/56 Cities with the best reputations in the world Reputation Institute – City RepTrak 2018
2018 2 21/56 (2017)
16/50 Cities with the strongest city brands in the world GFK – Anholt City Brands Index 2017
2017 2 14/50 (2015)
11/100 The world’s best cities Resonance – World's Best Cities 2019
2019 0 11/100 (2018)
24/174 The world’s smartest cities IESE – Cities in Motion 2019
2019 1 25/165 (2018)
1/327 Regions with the longest life expectancy in Europe Eurostat - Statistical Office of the European Commission 2017
2018 0 1/367
25/60 The world’s safest cities The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) – Safe Cities Index 2019
2019 13 12/60 (2017)
17/82 The world’s best cities for expatsInterNations – Expat City Ranking 2019
2019 8 9/72 (2018)
8/25 Cities with the highest quality of life in the worldMonocle – Quality of Life Survey 2019
2019 1 7/25 (2018)
27/56 Cities with the highest quality of life for expats Deutsche Bank– Mapping the World's Prices 2019
2019 4 23/56 (2018)
19/33 Europe's most equitable citiesSpotahome – Best European Cities for Equality 2018
2018 – 1st edition
CurrentRank
Ranking and Publisher Yearof Pub.
Change Previous Rank
34/77 Cities with the highest cost of living in the world UBS – Prices and Earnings 2018
2018 7 41/77 (2015)
3/100 Most transparent and participatory citiesRutgers – Digital Governance in Municipalities 2015/2016
2015 26 29/100 (2013/14)
23/114 Cities with the best talent management in the worldAdecco and Insead – Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2019
2019 1 22/90 (2018)
27/120 The world’s best cities for students QS – Best Student Cities 2019
2019 5 32/100 (2018)
3/50 Europe’s most attractive cities for businesses and employeesColliers International – Cities of Influence 2018
2018 5 8/20 (2017)
30/190 Economies where it’s easiest to do business World Bank – Doing Business 2020
2020 0 30/190 (2019)
11/33 The world's most attractive cities for foreign investment KPMG – Global Cities Investment Monitor 2019
2019 5 16/35 (2018)
5/31 Europe’s most attractive cities for real estate investment PWC – Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2020
2020 1 4/31 (2019)
4/25 Europe’s most innovative countriesAltran – Índice de Innovación Altran 2016
2016 0 4/25 (2015)
9/20 Europe's most promising tech hubsAtomico – State of European Tech 2019
2019 –
5/10 Cities with the highest startup density in Europe Mobile World Capital Barcelona - Digital Startup Ecosystem Overview 2019
2019 1 6/10 (2018)
13/15 European cities by volume of investment in startupsMobile World Capital Barcelona - Digital Startup Ecosystem Overview 2019
2019 – 1st edition
14/60 Europe’s most attractive cities for digital entrepreneurship Nesta and EDF – European Digital City Index 2016
2016 2 12/35 (2015)
Appendix I: Madrid in the Rankings – Results Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020102 Appendix I: Madrid in the Rankings – Results103
CurrentRank
Ranking and Publisher Yearof Pub.
Change Previous Rank
10/45 Cities with the highest business confidence in the digital transformation environmentThe Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) - Connecting Commerce 2017
2017 – 1st edition
21/100 The world’s most sustainable citiesArcadis – Sustainable Cities Index 2018
2018 1 20/100 (2016)
24/100 Cities with the best sustainable mobility systemsArcadis – Sustainable Cities Mobility Index 2017
2017 – 1st edition
4/26 Regions with the best public transport in Europe EMTA– Barometer of Public Transport 2019 (2017)
2019 – 1st edition
12/30 Cities with the best quality public transport in EuropeOmio – Inner City Transport Index 2019
2019 – 1st edition
35/100 The world's best airportsSkytrax: Top 100 Airports 2019
2019 8 43/100 (2018)
6/119 European cities with the most bednights European Cities Marketing – Benchmarking Report 2018-2019
2018 1 5/126 (2017)
47/100 Cities with the most international touristsEuromonitor - Top 100 City Destinations Ranking 2019
2019 4 43/100 (2018)
3/465 Cities with the most international conferencesICCA – ICCA Statistics Report 2018
2018 4 7/406 (2017)
11/20 Europe's most cultural and creative cities European Commission – Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor 2019
2019 2 13/21 (2017)
5/10 The world’s best museumsTripAdvisor – Travelers’ Choice Award-Winning Museums Around The World 2018
2018 – 1st edition
7/100 Cities with the best culinary offerings in the worldCaterwings – Best Food Destinations 2017
2017 – 1st edition
8/10 Cities with the best food in the worldTripAdvisor- Best Food Cities in the World 2018
2018 –
14/193 Cities with the most international retailers in the worldCBRE – How Global is the Business of Retail? 2018
2017 0 14/193 (2016)
CurrentRank
Ranking and Publisher Yearof Pub.
Change Previous Rank
26/100 Most attractive cities for retailers Modaes.es – Hot Retail Cities 2019
2019 10 36/100 (2018)
2/33 Europe’s best cities for shoppingEIU/Global Blue - The Globe Shopper City Index 2011
2011 – 1st edition
Appendix II: Comparative Table
Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020104 105
Appendix II: Comparative Table Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020106 Appendix II: Comparative Table107106Appendix II: Comparative Table
Magnetism Internationalinfluence
Futureprospects
Reputation Best cities Smart cities
2019 2019 2016 2018 2019 2019
London New York London Tokyo London London
New York London Singapore Sydney Paris New York
Tokyo Paris Toronto Copenhagen New York Amsterdam
Paris Tokyo Paris Vienna Tokyo Paris
Singapore Hong Kong Amsterdam Stockholm Barcelona Reykjavik
Amsterdam Singapore New York Venice Moscow Tokyo
Seoul Los Angeles Stockholm Rome Chicago Singapore
Berlin Chicago San Francisco Zurich Singapore Copenhagen
Hong Kong Beijing Hong Kong Munich Dubai Berlin
Sydney Washington, D.C. Sydney Montreal San Francisco Vienna
Melbourne Sydney Seoul Helsinki Madrid Hong Kong
Los Angeles Brussels Berlin Melbourne Amsterdam Seoul
Madrid Seoul Chicago Toronto Los Angeles Stockholm
Stockholm Berlin Los Angeles Milan Rome Oslo
Zurich Madrid 16 Madrid 19 Madrid Boston 24 Madrid
MoriGlobal PowerCities Index
Kearney Global Cities Report
PwC Cities of Opportunity
Reputation InstituteCity Reptrak
Resonance ConsultancyWorld's Best Cities
IESE Cities in Motion
* The numbers specified give Madrid's position in the rankings detailed in the previous table.
Lifeexpectancy
Safety Expats Quality of life Equality Cost of living
2018 2019 2018 2019 2018 2018²
C. of Madrid Tokyo Taipei Zurich Helsinki Zurich
La Rioja¹ Singapore Singapore Tokyo Stockholm Geneva
Castile-Leon¹ Osaka Manama Munich Rotterdam Oslo
A. P. of Trento¹ Amsterdam Ho Chi Minh City Copenhagen Bristol Copenhagen
Île-de-France Sydney Bangkok Vienna Reykjavik New York
C.C. of Navarre¹ Toronto Kuala Lumpur Helsinki Zurich Tokyo
A. P. of Bolzano¹ Washington, D.C. Aachen Hamburg Oslo Milan
Umbria¹ Copenhagen Prague Madrid Copenhagen London
Inner London– West¹ Seoul Madrid Berlin Leeds Chicago
Lombardy¹ Melbourne Muscat Lisbon Edinburgh Helsinki
Marche¹ Chicago The Hague Melbourne Brussels Sydney
Basque Country¹ Stockholm Montreal Stockholm Birmingham Paris
Catalonia¹ San Francisco Amsterdam Sydney Luxembourg Auckland
Rhône-Alpes¹ London Abu Dhabi Amsterdam Lyon Stockholm
Corsica¹ 25 Madrid Tallinn Vancouver 19 Madrid 34 Madrid
EurostatEurostat Regional Yearbook
EIUSafe Cities Index
InterNationsExpat Insider 2018
MonocleQuality of Life Survey
SpotahomeBest European Cities for Equality
UBSPrices and Earnings
¹ Cities tied for various places.² The top spot designates the city with the highest prices.
Appendix II: Comparative Table Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020108 Appendix II: Comparative Table109
Participationand transparency
Talentmanagement
Erasmus destination
Businessand employment
Ease of doing business
Attractionof investment
2015 2019 2019 2018 2019 2019
Seoul Washington, D.C. London London Auckland London
Helsinki Copenhagen Tokyo Paris Singapore Paris
Madrid Oslo Melbourne Madrid Hong Kong Singapore
Hong Kong Vienna Munich Moscow Copenhagen Dubai
Prague Boston Berlin Birmingham Seoul New York
Tallinn Helsinki Montreal Munich NY / Los Angeles Shanghai
New York New York Paris Edinburgh Tbilisi Barcelona
Bratislava Paris Zurich Zurich London Hong Kong
Yerevan Seoul Sydney Milan Oslo Düsseldorf
Vilnius Stockholm Seoul Manchester Stockholm São Paulo
Buenos Aires San Francisco Hong Kong SAR Stockholm Vilnius Madrid
Tokyo Seattle Toronto Bristol Kuala Lumpur Amsterdam
Singapore London Boston Leeds Port Louis Tokyo
Moscow Taipei Vienna Frankfurt Sydney Dublin
Oslo 23 Madrid 27 Madrid Dublin 30 Madrid Sydney
RutgersGovernance inMunicipalities
Adecco and Insead Global TalentCompetitiveness
QS Best Student Cities
Colliers International Cities of Influence
World BankDoing Business
KPMG Global CitiesInvestment Monitor
Real estate trends
Innovation Tech hubs Startupdensity
Digital entrepreneurship
Digital transformation
2020 2016 2019 2019 2016 2017
Paris Sweden London London London Bangalore
Berlin Denmark Berlin Paris Stockholm San Francisco
Frankfurt Finland Stockholm Berlin Amsterdam Mumbai
London C. of Madrid Paris Amsterdam Helsinki New Delhi
Madrid Germany Munich Madrid Paris Beijing
Amsterdam Netherlands Bucharest Barcelona Berlin Manila
Munich Ireland Barcelona Stockholm Copenhagen Shanghai
Hamburg Norway Helsinki Dublin Dublin Jakarta
Barcelona Austria Madrid Helsinki Barcelona London
Lisbon Czech Rep. Cambridge Copenhagen Vienna Madrid
Milan Iceland Copenhagen Munich New York
Dublin Belgium Bristol Cambridge Barcelona
Brussels United Kingdom Amsterdam Bristol Guangzhou
Warsaw France Zurich Madrid Singapore
Vienna Hungary Milan Oxford Chicago
PwC Emerging Trendsin Real Estate
AltranÍndice deInnovación Altran
AtomicoState of European Tech 2019
Mobile World Capital BarcelonaDigital Startup Ecosystem Overview
Nesta/EDF EuropeanDigital City Index
EIUConnectingCommerce
Appendix II: Comparative Table Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020 Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020110 Appendix II: Comparative Table111
International tourists
Participants in int'l meetings
No. of int’l meetings
Museums Gastronomy Retailers Shopping
2017 2018 2018 2018 2017 2018 2011
Bangkok Barcelona Paris Musée d’Orsay San Sebastián Dubai London
London Paris Vienna 9/11 MemorialMuseum Tokyo Shanghai Madrid¹
Paris Vienna Madrid Met. Museumof Art New York London Barcelona¹
Dubai Munich Barcelona BritishMuseum Barcelona Abu Dhabi Paris
Singapore Berlin Berlin Prado Museum Singapore Paris Rome
New York Amsterdam Lisbon AcropolisMuseum Paris Hong Kong Berlin
Seoul Toronto London Louvre Museum Madrid Singapore Lisbon
KualaLumpur Copenhagen Singapore National WWII
Museum Lima New York Amsterdam
Tokyo Madrid PragueNat. Museum of
Anthropology London Doha Prague
Istanbul Singapore Bangkok War RemnantsMuseum Munich Moscow Budapest
Hong Kong Lisbon Buenos Aires NationalGallery Las Vegas Beijing Milan
Barcelona Buenos Aires Hong Kong Vasa Museum Osaka Miami Vienna
Amsterdam Seoul Amsterdam Uffizi Gallery Los Angeles Kuala Lumpur Istanbul
Milan London Tokyo Rijksmuseum Stockholm Madrid Dublin
25 Madrid Montreal SeoulState Herit.Museum &
Winter PalaceSan Francisco Tokyo Brussels
MastercardGlobal DestinationCities Index
ICCA Statistics Report
ICCA Statistics Report
TripAdvisor Travelers’Choice for Museums
CaterwingsBest Food Destinations
CBRE How Global isthe Business of Retail?
EIU/Global Blue The GlobalShopper City Index
¹ Cities tied for 2nd place.
Sustainability Sustainable mobility
Best public transport
Quality of public transport
Airport connectivity
Bednights
2018 2017 2019 2019 2019 2018
London Hong Kong Paris Zurich Singapore Changi London
Stockholm Zurich London Berlin Tokyo Haneda Paris
Edinburgh Paris Berlin Vienna Seoul Incheon Berlin
Singapore Seoul Madrid Milan Doha Hamad Rome
Vienna Prague Barcelona Paris Hong Kong Istanbul
Zurich Vienna Vienna Porto Centrair Nagoya Madrid
Munich London Frankfurt Lisbon Munich Barcelona
Oslo Singapore Stockholm Brussels LondonHeathrow Prague
Hong Kong Stockholm Budapest Warsaw Tokyo Narita Vienna
Frankfurt Frankfurt Montreal Frankfurt Zurich Munich
Copenhagen Amsterdam Warsaw Munich Kansai Amsterdam
Amsterdam Copenhagen Prague Madrid Frankfurt Stockholm
Seoul Tokyo Copenhagen Barcelona Taiwan Taoyuan Hamburg
New York Munich Stuttgart Lyon Amsterdam Schiphol Milan
21 Madrid 24 Madrid Oslo Budapest 35 Madrid Lisbon
Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index
Arcadis Sustainable Cities Mobility Index
EMTA Barometer of Public Transport 2019
Omio Inner City Transport Index
Skytrax World's Top 100 Airports 2019
European CitiesMarketing BenchmarkingReport
Madrid Global Ranking Report 2020