India’s top cities among the worst in the world in quality of life: Check how Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and others fare

All 10 of India’s highest-ranked cities placed within the top 500 of Oxford Economics’ 2026 Global Cities Index. 

Indian cities performed better in economic and human capital outcomes than in quality-of-life and environmental outcomes. Oxford Economics' Global Cities Index 2026 included 91 Indian cities among the world's 1,000 largest.

Even India's 10 highest-ranked cities showed weaknesses in living conditions and environmental performance. Stronger rankings in economic and human capital helped improve their overall positions. All 10 are featured within the top 500.

Delhi

Delhi led the Indian cities, securing an overall rank of 268. Its strongest result was in human capital, where it ranked 13. Delhi also ranked 116 in economics, the best among these 10 Indian cities.

However, its quality-of-life rank was 781. Its environmental rank was 915, the weakest in this group.

Bengaluru and Mumbai

Bengaluru came next, with an overall rank of 311. It ranked 176 in economics and 106 in human capital. Its quality of life position was 775 while its environment rank was 528.

Mumbai followed at 330 overall. The city ranked 170th in economics and 77th in human capital. Its quality-of-life and environment rankings were 817 and 782, respectively.

Chennai and Hyderabad

Chennai secured an overall rank of 381. It ranked 263rd in economics and 122nd in human capital. However, Chennai ranked 854 in quality of life, the poorest result among these cities. Its environment rank was 633.

Hyderabad ranked 421 overall, with positions of 248 in economics and 241 in human capital. It ranked 818 for quality of life and 657 for environment.

Other cities

Pune stood at 427 overall. Its economic rank was 297 while its human capital position was 139. The city ranked 853 in quality of life and 731 in environment. These results reflected the wider gap between economic strengths and everyday living conditions.

Thrissur secured an overall rank of 477. It ranked 334 in economics and 611 in human capital. However, it performed better than the other nine cities in quality of life and environment. Its respective ranks were 584 and 468. Thrissur's human capital ranking was the weakest among the ten cities.

Kochi followed at 489 overall, ranking 404 in economics and 419 in human capital. Its quality of life rank was 701 while its environment position was 607.

Kolkata stood at 496 overall. It ranked 245 in economics and 305 in human capital. Its quality-of-life and environment positions were 843 and 854, respectively.

Kozhikode completed the Indian top 10, securing an overall rank of 499. It ranked 407 in economics and 456 in human capital. Its quality of life position was 710 while its environment rank was 570.

About the Author

Sounak Mukhopadhyay covers trending news, sports and entertainment for LiveMint. His reporting focuses on fast-moving stories, box office performance, digital culture and major cricket developments. He combines real-time updates with clear context for everyday readers. <br><br> Sounak brings newsroom experience across breaking news, explainers and long-form features. He has a strong emphasis on accuracy, verification and responsible storytelling. His work tracks audience behaviour, celebrity influence and the business of sport and cinema. He helps readers understand why a story matters beyond the headline. <br><br> Sounak has contributed to widely read digital publications. He continues to build a body of journalism shaped by consistency, speed and editorial clarity. He is particularly interested in the intersection of media, popular culture and public conversation in contemporary India. <br><br> At LiveMint, he writes daily coverage as well as analytical pieces that interpret numbers, trends and cultural moments in accessible language. His approach prioritises factual depth, balanced framing and reader trust. The reporting aligns with modern newsroom standards of transparency and credibility. <br><br> Outside daily reporting, he explores storytelling across formats including podcasts, filmmaking and narrative non-fiction. Through his journalism, Sounak aims to document the rhythms of modern entertainment and sports while maintaining rigorous editorial integrity. <br><br> Sounak continues to develop audience-focused journalism that connects speed with substance in a rapidly-changing information environment. His work seeks clarity, trust and lasting public value in every story he reports.