PwC Good Growth for Cities Index: Where Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen rank in the top 50
“It is interesting to see that public priorities are beginning to shift towards factors that are more tangible and local” – Jason Morris, PwC
Scotland’s three largest cities have enjoyed their strongest performance in an annual ranking of the UK’s best-performing locations, with Edinburgh grabbing second place.
Aberdeen has emerged as the highest climber in the latest Demos-PwC Good Growth for Cities Index, rising 25 places, while Glasgow is the third most improved city overall.
The index ranks 50 of the UK’s largest cities, excluding London, based on both the public’s assessment and the actual performance of 12 key economic measures, including jobs, health and income, as well as work-life balance, housing, transport, retail offering and business start-ups.
In the 2025 report, published today, the highest performing city in Scotland is Edinburgh, rising by seven places to rank second overall in the UK. Aberdeen has moved from 37th place in last year’s index to 12th this year and Glasgow grabs the 18th slot, a rise of 13 places.
PwC noted that the performance across the 12 measures was quite consistent for all three Scottish cities, with all of them above the UK average for house price to earnings ratios, skills and high streets. Aberdeen diverges from Glasgow and Edinburgh for owner occupation and transport, with both scoring lower in Aberdeen, but Scotland’s two largest cities score higher than Aberdeen for work-life balance.
Edinburgh scored highly across high streets, skills and jobs, which are key indicators of prosperity that PwC says the public increasingly values. The capital has seen improvements in job opportunities, higher youth (16-24) educational attainment and more equal income distribution compared to last year’s results.
Jason Morris, Scotland market senior partner at PwC, said: “I’m pleased to see Scotland’s strong performance this year, and it is interesting to see that public priorities are beginning to shift towards factors that are more tangible and local. Our Good Growth for Cities Index offers a framework that allows cities to adapt and align their strategies to reflect public priorities, fostering economic success and community wellbeing.
“Recent years have seen challenges for households and businesses across Scotland and it’s important to continue addressing areas that the public place the most value in, such as income, income distribution and safety.”
Richard Spilsbury, the accounting giant’s Edinburgh market senior partner, added: “Edinburgh ranks second in this year’s index, driven by the change in priorities and changes in public perceptions of prosperity indicators. The city performed well in areas such as high streets and skills, which are increasingly seen as important priorities.
“However, Edinburgh continues to experience below home ownership rates, highlighting ongoing housing affordability challenges in the city, as well as a relatively poor performance in new business and health.”
PwC noted that the underlying data was for the period prior to the energy price rises and recent inflation pressures that has dented growth in the UK. The ongoing financial pressures will still push people to prioritise and focus on what will most improve their quality of life, the report added.
“For most cities, meeting the public’s expectations continues to be a significant challenge and many households remain under financial strain,” PwC warned.
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