Question 1

How are these smart city rankings calculated?

Accepted Answer

Each city is assessed against 86 criteria from the UN ISO-aligned smart city framework — spanning open data, mobility, environment, governance and the economy. Every criterion is marked present, partial or absent based on public evidence, with each finding linked to its source. The score is the share of assessed criteria that are present (partial counts half).

Question 2

What is the smartest city in the world in 2026?

Accepted Answer

London ranks first of 75 cities in the Data Corridor smart city rankings 2026 with a score of 88.9%, followed by York and Stirling.

Question 3

How do these rankings differ from the IMD Smart City Index?

Accepted Answer

The IMD Smart City Index surveys around 120 residents in each of 148 cities about how their city feels. These rankings instead check what each city verifiably has, from public evidence, and cover any city — currently 75 and growing — with every score traceable to its sources.

#	City	Score	Evidence	Criteria present
1	LondonUK	88.9%	91.9%	73/86
2	YorkUK	83.5%	88.4%	67/86
3	StirlingUK	81.9%	87.2%	66/86
4	ManchesterUK	79.5%	84.9%	63/86
5	SunderlandUK	73.9%	77.9%	59/86
6	SheffieldUK	73.9%	77.9%	60/86
7	Newcastle upon TyneUK	73.7%	77.9%	60/86
8	BirminghamUK	72.8%	76.7%	60/86
9	DunfermlineUK	72.6%	80.2%	57/86
10	LiverpoolUK	71.9%	76.7%	57/86
11	PortsmouthUK	71.5%	76.7%	57/86
12	BristolUK	70.5%	76.7%	56/86
13	LeedsUK	69.7%	73.3%	55/86
14	Newport, WalesUK	68.5%	73.3%	55/86
15	GlasgowUK	68.2%	72.1%	55/86
16	SwanseaUK	67.8%	74.4%	53/86
17	CardiffUK	67.6%	73.3%	54/86
18	CambridgeUK	67.3%	70.9%	55/86
19	SouthamptonUK	66.2%	74.4%	51/86
20	CanterburyUK	65.4%	69.8%	51/86
21	EdinburghUK	65.3%	69.8%	52/86
22	Perth, ScotlandUK	63.4%	72.1%	45/86
23	SalisburyUK	61.8%	70.9%	46/86
24	BelfastUK	61.5%	67.4%	48/86
25	ExeterUK	61%	65.1%	47/86
26	ChichesterUK	60.1%	70.9%	43/86
27	BradfordUK	56.8%	60.5%	45/86
28	DurhamUK	56.6%	62.8%	43/86
29	PlymouthUK	56.2%	61.6%	44/86
30	SalfordUK	56%	62.8%	43/86
31	LincolnUK	55.8%	61.6%	43/86
32	Stoke-on-TrentUK	55.6%	62.8%	41/86
33	ArmaghUK	55.4%	64%	40/86
34	LeicesterUK	55.3%	62.8%	41/86
35	Brighton & HoveUK	53.6%	59.3%	41/86
36	Milton KeynesUK	53.3%	62.8%	40/86
37	HerefordUK	52.6%	61.6%	36/86
38	NewryUK	52.5%	59.3%	39/86
39	St DavidsUK	51.6%	61.6%	37/86
40	WrexhamUK	51.6%	55.8%	41/86
41	AberdeenUK	50.3%	53.5%	39/86
42	LancasterUK	49.9%	57%	37/86
43	CarlisleUK	49.7%	53.5%	39/86
44	NorwichUK	48.9%	55.8%	37/86
45	Kingston upon HullUK	48.5%	52.3%	37/86
46	OxfordUK	48.4%	53.5%	35/86
47	GloucesterUK	48.1%	54.7%	35/86
48	ColchesterUK	48%	54.7%	34/86
49	WellsUK	47.9%	54.7%	36/86
50	CoventryUK	47.8%	55.8%	34/86
51	DundeeUK	47.6%	53.5%	35/86
52	InvernessUK	47.5%	51.2%	38/86
53	DoncasterUK	47.5%	58.1%	34/86
54	BathUK	47.2%	53.5%	36/86
55	Bangor, GwyneddUK	46.9%	57%	30/86
56	PeterboroughUK	46.8%	57%	31/86
57	WinchesterUK	46.6%	48.8%	37/86
58	ChesterUK	46.5%	52.3%	36/86
59	St AsaphUK	46.3%	55.8%	31/86
60	WolverhamptonUK	45%	50%	35/86
61	WorcesterUK	44.6%	50%	33/86
62	NottinghamUK	44.2%	52.3%	30/86
63	DerbyUK	43.1%	52.3%	29/86
64	Southend-on-SeaUK	42.9%	47.7%	32/86
65	LondonderryUK	42.7%	48.8%	31/86
66	LisburnUK	40.5%	44.2%	30/86
67	WakefieldUK	40.4%	43%	31/86
68	ElyUK	40.2%	44.2%	31/86
69	ChelmsfordUK	40.2%	45.3%	30/86
70	PrestonUK	38%	43%	29/86
71	Bangor, County DownUK	37.8%	41.9%	29/86
72	TruroUK	35.1%	39.5%	26/86
73	LichfieldUK	34.8%	40.7%	23/86
74	St AlbansUK	33.6%	40.7%	24/86
75	RiponUK	31.9%	36%	23/86

DATACORRIDOR

Smart City Rankings 2026

How these smart city rankings work