Jakarta Rises to 53rd Place in World’s Best Cities 2026 Ranking
Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, has secured the 53rd position in the World’s Best Cities 2026 ranking released by Resonance Consultancy, reflecting the city’s growing appeal as a tourism, business, and lifestyle destination amid ongoing improvements in infrastructure and connectivity.
According to Resonance Consultancy President and CEO Chris Fair, Jakarta continues to evolve as one of the world’s largest metropolitan areas despite facing challenges such as land subsidence and the government’s plan to relocate the national capital to Nusantara.
“While the national capital is moving to Nusantara, Jakarta’s economic influence remains firmly intact,” Fair said in a statement issued on Saturday, emphasizing the city’s enduring role as Indonesia’s economic hub.
Jakarta ranked ahead of Washington, D.C. and Abu Dhabi in the global list, although it remained behind regional cities such as Guangzhou and Kuala Lumpur. The top three positions were occupied by London, New York, and Paris.
The Indonesian capital performed particularly well in the “lovability” category, ranking 28th globally. The assessment highlighted popular attractions including the revitalized Old Town district, rooftop entertainment venues in the Sudirman Central Business District (SCBD), and waterfront developments in Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK).
The city also earned a place among the world’s top 10 destinations for shopping and family-friendly attractions. Its strong digital presence was reflected in rankings of ninth globally for Instagram posts and eighth for TikTok content.
Resonance noted significant progress in Jakarta’s transportation network, which is helping address the city’s long-standing traffic congestion. Key developments include the integration of the Jabodebek Light Rail Transit (LRT) system, the expansion of MRT Jakarta Phase 2 toward the Old Town area, and improved airport rail links connecting Soekarno-Hatta International Airport with major stations across the capital.
On the economic front, the report highlighted strong investment activity across Greater Jakarta, including the expansion of data center infrastructure in the Bekasi-Cikarang corridor to support growing demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence services.
The consultancy also pointed to the development of premium office spaces and mixed-use projects in major business districts such as Sudirman-Thamrin, Kuningan, and TB Simatupang as evidence of the city’s continued economic vitality.
The World’s Best Cities 2026 ranking was compiled using Resonance’s Place Power Score methodology, which evaluates cities across three key pillars—livability, lovability, and prosperity—through 46 metrics spanning 30 categories. The rankings also incorporated findings from an Ipsos survey of more than 21,000 respondents in 31 countries on the cities they most wish to visit, live in, and work in.
