Good Growth for Cities measures the performance of the UK’s largest cities against 10 indicators that the public think are most important when it comes to economic well-being. The Index was developed by PwC and the think tank Demos in the aftermath of the financial crisis.
The index builds on the need to look beyond GDP to measure economic success and uses factors like jobs, income, skills and health, alongside housing, transport, income distribution, work-life balance, business start-ups and the environment.
Cities in the south east of England continue to perform well, with 7 out of 9 cities performing above average within the index. Oxford scores as the highest ranked city, followed by Reading; both cities having held this position in the 2017 and 2018 index.
Nevertheless, the report warns that the price of success for cities, particularly where levels of employment, wages, new businesses and skills are high, is reflected in house prices and work-life balance.
Follow this link to find out more about the index, the findings and to access the full report