Jakarta ranks 53rd in World’s Best Cities 2026 list

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Jakarta ranked 53rd in the World’s Best Cities 2026 list released by Resonance Consultancy, driven by its tourism appeal, social media popularity, and improving transportation connectivity.

Resonance Consultancy President and CEO Chris Fair described Jakarta as the world’s second-most-populous metropolitan area that continues to dynamically evolve, despite structural challenges such as land subsidence and the ongoing relocation of Indonesia’s capital to Nusantara.

“Yes, the national capital is moving to Nusantara, but Jakarta’s economic gravity is not,” Fair said in a statement on Saturday.

Jakarta ranked above Washington, D.C., which placed 57th, and Abu Dhabi, which came in 86th, but remained below cities such as Guangzhou and Kuala Lumpur. London, New York, and Paris occupied the top three spots.

Jakarta ranked 28th globally in the “lovability” category, supported by attractions such as the revitalized Jakarta Old Town, rooftop venues in the Sudirman Central Business District (SCBD), and waterfront areas at Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK).

The city also ranked among the world’s top 10 cities for shopping and family-friendly attractions. In social media popularity, the city placed ninth for Instagram posts and eighth for TikTok videos.

Resonance noted that Jakarta’s transportation connectivity continues to improve, helping ease the city’s long-standing traffic congestion.

The consultancy highlighted the growing integration of the Jabodebek LRT network and the continued development of MRT Jakarta Phase 2 extending toward the Old Town area.

Connectivity to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport has also improved through the airport rail service linking the airport with key stations in the capital.

On the economic front, Resonance noted strong investment inflows into Greater Jakarta, including the expansion of data center facilities in the Bekasi-Cikarang corridor to support cloud computing and artificial intelligence demand.

The consultancy also cited the development of premium office and mixed-use projects in the Sudirman-Thamrin, Kuningan, and TB Simatupang enclaves as indicators of the capital’s economic strength.

The World’s Best Cities 2026 ranking uses the Place Power Score methodology, which combines city performance data with global public perception.

The assessment covers three pillars — livability, lovability, and prosperity — measured through 46 metrics across 30 categories.

The results were combined with an Ipsos survey of more than 21,000 respondents in 31 countries regarding the cities they most want to visit, live in, and where they believe the best job opportunities are available.

Source link