Singapore Tops Southeast Asia in the 2026 Global Cities Index; Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City Rated Highly for Growth Potential

[JAKARTA, Indonesia—Aulia Maulida Hamdani, correspondent] Singapore was rated the top city in Southeast Asia in the 2026 Global Cities Index released by Oxford Economics.
According to data released on the 21st by C-Asia Stats, a digital media platform specializing in statistics and rankings, Oxford Economics calculates the Global Cities Index by comprehensively evaluating 1,000 major cities worldwide across five categories: economy, human capital, quality of life, environment, and governance.
Singapore ranked 29th worldwide and first in Southeast Asia in this year's index. It was analyzed to have received high marks as a major business and transportation hub in Southeast Asia, supported by its international economic networks, infrastructure, and skilled workforce.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, drew attention as cities with strong growth potential. Kuala Lumpur was selected as a “City to Watch” with an overall score of 75.4 points and received high marks for human capital and governance. Ho Chi Minh City also made the “Cities to Watch” list with a score of 62.6 points, with expanding trade, high-value-added manufacturing, and private-sector growth identified as its key growth drivers.
Ho Chi Minh City was highlighted in particular as a leading example of a rapidly growing Asian city. Oxford Economics explained that the growth of Asian cities, including Ho Chi Minh City, is occurring alongside the shift of the center of global economic activity toward Asia.
Elsewhere, Bangkok, Thailand, was included in the index as a major hub for business, tourism, and service industries. Jakarta, Indonesia, was listed as a key regional city based on its population and the scale of its economic activity. Manila in the Philippines and Hanoi in Vietnam were also included.
The index also confirmed that urban economic growth in Southeast Asia is spreading beyond the capitals to second-tier cities. Malaysia's George Town and Johor Bahru, along with Indonesia's Surabaya, were included in the index, showing the expanding role of major urban areas in regional economic and social development.
The index analyzed that major Southeast Asian cities are accounting for a growing share of global economic growth. It particularly described rapidly growing cities such as Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City as examples of changes in the global urban economic landscape.
[email protected] Aulia Maulida Hamdani, correspondent Reporter