Cities across the developing world are set to be among the fastest-growing urban economies in the next quarter century, according to Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025. The report tracks the structural strengths and weaknesses of the world’s 1,000 largest cities, measuring economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance.

The report forecasts that by 2050, emerging market cities will add half a billion residents and see average productivity increase by 50%. More than a quarter of these cities are expected to more than double their average household incomes over the next 25 years.

“Emerging market cities are no longer just industrial satellites—they are becoming the principal drivers of global growth,” the report concludes.

Big European cities still rank high in the top 50, with London in second place after New York, and Paris in third place. The next highest rated in Europe is Dublin in 13 place and Stockholm in 14.

However, as Western Europe slides into recession, these are the only four western European cities to make it into the top 50. The remaining “tiger cities” in Europe come from the additions to the EU since the 2003 accessions.

Polish cities account for as many as half of the 20 fastest-growing European cities in the last decade or so, largely due to investments in the business services sector after they joined the EU. In the next 15 years, Poland will have only four representatives on the list of fastest-growing cities, and their growth rate will be significantly slower, according to Oxford Economics.

Wrocław took the top spot, with Gdańsk, Kraków, Warsaw, and Poznań occupying sixth through ninth places, respectively. Szczecin, Białystok, Lublin, Katowice, and Bydgoszcz also finished in the top ten between 2010 and 2025.

Stepping back and Oxford Economics's research reveals that the most dynamic region in the world is India, the Middle East and South East Asia where the number of cities with accelerating growth are clustered. The north and west coasts of Africa also sport dozens of fast growing cities while those in Latin America and China growth is declining.

 

Latin America: In Latin America, Manaus and Recife in Brazil, along with Managua in Nicaragua and Guayaquil in Ecuador, are among the region’s standout performers. The report notes that Brazil’s interior cities such as Aracaju and São José dos Campos are showing particularly rapid expansion, underpinned by manufacturing, logistics and consumer-led growth. Venezuela’s Maracaibo and Guayana City also rank highly on growth momentum despite severe political instability.

Asia: Asia dominates the growth tables, led by Chinese industrial hubs such as Foshan, Jinan, Zhengzhou, and Nanchang, which combine vast scale with strong manufacturing productivity. India contributes a long list of fast-moving cities, including Patna, Jabalpur, and Varanasi, reflecting the country’s rapid urbanisation and services boom. Elsewhere in Asia, Dhaka in Bangladesh and General Santos in the Philippines stand out as rising urban economies.

Former Soviet Union: In the FSU, Russian regional centres such as Yekaterinburg, Ufa, and Nizhny Novgorod appear prominently in the rankings. Belarus’s Gomel also registers as a fast-growing hub, while Tashkent in Uzbekistan is highlighted as Central Asia’s main growth driver. Despite the war, Ukrainian cities like Zaporizhzhia still make the list, though with far weaker scores in quality of life and governance.

Africa: Africa’s strongest performers include Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire, Abuja in Nigeria and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. The report also identifies secondary hubs such as Mwanza in Tanzania, Enugu in Nigeria and Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso as growth standouts. Lubumbashi and Mbuji-Mayi, both in the DRC, are also ranked among the fastest-growing urban economies.

Middle East: In the Middle East, Qom, Rasht and Kermanshah in Iran appear as some of the fastest-growing cities, driven by industrial development and regional trade. Iraq’s Basra, fuelled by its oil wealth, also features prominently. The Gulf, by contrast, is less represented, though Muscat and Taif make the list.