Birmingham, the UK’s second city, has been ranked in the bottom three across the entire UK.

Cities across the UK have been rated based on numerous criteria, from crime to jobs, transport, work and environment.

The 2025 Demos-PwC Good Growth for Cities Index ranks UK 50 cities, excluding London, with a positive score indicating they are above average, and a negative one meaning the opposite.

There are some big climbers in this year’s table, including one that scores particularly highly for work-life balance.

York tops this year’s list, after rising six places, with a score of 0.73, up from 0.54 last year.

Edinburgh is in second place, with a score of 0.63, having risen seven places.

Last year’s winner, Plymouth, has fallen to sixth in the table, with a score of 0.53, down from 0.62.

The biggest climbers include Portsmouth, up nine places to ninth, with a score of 0.46. It scores particularly highly for jobs, skills and health.

Aberdeen has risen 25 places to 12th, with a score of 0.44. Skills, transport and housing are its strongest areas.

Glasgow is up 13 places to 18th, with a score of 0.30, bolstered by good ratings for work-life balance, skills, and income distribution.

And Sheffield is up nine places to 34th, with a score of 0.09, also ranking highly for work-life balance, skills, and income distribution.

Bottom of the pile is Walsall, with a score of -0.32, followed by Bradford and Birmingham.

So why does Birmingham rank so poorly?

Birmingham scored a poor -0.28 in third the third from bottom spot, with specific areas such as jobs and income underperforming.

The report states: “Birmingham has one of the youngest and most diverse populations in the UK, plays a central role in national infrastructure plans, and is gaining prominence in several key sectors.

“However, parts of the city face chronic deprivation and exclusion, with record levels of economic inactivity and long-term unemployment.

“Extensive regeneration, sector clustering, and skills development offer a chance to connect these left-behind communities to the city’s growth, ensuring the benefits of transformation are more evenly distributed.”

You can read the full report here.

What do you think of the rankings? What would you say is the best city in the UK, and why?