There are mixed results for the north in PwC’s latest Good Growth for Cities report.
The index, produced in partnership with cross-party think-tank Demos, measures the performance of 42 of the UK’s largest cities against a basket of 10 categories, based on the views of the public and business on factors influencing economic success and wellbeing.
Edinburgh continues to be one of the best cities in the UK, holding its own against historic top-performers in the south of England, according to the report.
Oxford and Reading have topped the index for a second year running.
Edinburgh and Aberdeen have both fallen one place this year, from third to fourth and 10th to 11th, respectively, while Glasgow has climbed from 29th to 27th.
Inverness, while not included in the index and, therefore, unranked, performed well, while all Scottish cities improved their overall score, the report says.
Susie Simpson, head of private business in Scotland said: “Inverness continues to shine in all the right ways – skills, jobs, transport infrastructure and income distribution are all above the UK average.”
Kevin Reynard, PwC Aberdeen office senior partner, said the Granite City led the way for new businesses per head of population. But he added: “Work-life balance, income distribution and house price to earnings are all below the UK average.”