According to the Global Cities Index 2026 by Oxford Economics, Santa Cruz de Tenerife is listed among the top 250 cities globally, praised for its quality of life and environmental standards. This ranking includes 1,000 cities worldwide, with New York, London, and Paris leading the list. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria also features in this ranking.
Within Spain, Madrid holds the 30th position, leading the Spanish cities, followed by Barcelona, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, Bilbao, Málaga, Zaragoza, Sevilla, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which are ranked 239th and 248th respectively.
The report assesses various factors such as economy, human capital, quality of life, environment, and governance. It highlights that Santa Cruz de Tenerife has improved its standing in quality of life to 146th place but has dropped to 166th in governance. Its economic ranking has fallen to 353rd, and in human capital, it is at 527th.
The report also identifies demographic growth and housing pressure as major challenges for large Spanish cities.
Globally, cities like Seattle, San Francisco, Dublin, Boston, San José (California), Tokyo, and Zurich are in the top ten. In Latin America, Buenos Aires ranks 138th, followed by Lima at 196th and Mexico City at 221st.
