London has plummeted down a ranking of the 100 greatest cities in the world

Oh, London. While residents of the Big Smoke might have plenty to be smug about – we’ve got culture, restaurants and attractive people coming out our ears – there’s a fair amount that’s not so rosy with our city too (*cough* rent prices). Now a ranking of the 100 greatest cities in the world has decreed that the UK capital is indeed no longer what it once was.

London has slipped down the Top 100 City Destinations Index, created by data analytics company Euromonitor International, for a second year in a row. Once firmly in the ranking’s top 10, London moved down to 13th place in 2025. In 2026 things are looking even worse for the capital, because it has dropped again to 18th. 

Data analysts at Euromonitor International compared cities across the world on key criteria including tourism policy, tourism infrastructure, economic performance, sustainability, and health and safety, in order to create the list of the top 100.

While London came in fourth place globally for tourism infrastructure, it lagged in tourism policy, health and safety, and sustainability. However, that didn’t mean that people don’t want to visit the Big Smoke, as London was the third most-visited city in the world according to the research.  

The UK capital may have fallen (a little) from grace, but European cities dominated the top 10 for 2026, with Paris taking top spot. Gay Paree was named the world’s greatest city for the fifth year in a row thanks to its tourism infrastructure, cultural influence and sustainability initiatives. Paris was also one of the globe’s most-visited cities, with the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris mentioned as a key driver in tourism to the French capital. 

To see Euromonitor’s full list of the top 10 best cities in the world, read more here.

We may not be the best, but London is getting a new all-day thin-crust pizza restaurant, so that’s something. 

Plus, the Barbican has announced its hidden Sculpture Court will get a spectacular makeover.