KUALA LUMPUR, 21 MAY 2024: Kuala Lumpur has been ranked the second most outstanding city in Southeast Asia, behind Singapore, in the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2024.

The latest list shows that the city is positioned at 135 out of 1,000 cities worldwide.

Singapore emerged as the top city in Southeast Asia, ranking 42nd in the index.

Other major Southeast Asian cities include Bangkok at 192nd place, followed by Manila at 256th and Jakarta at 284th.

It comprises five categories: economy, human capital, quality of life, environment, and governance, which are aggregated to create an overall score for each city.

According to the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index, Kuala Lumpur is ranked 106th in terms of economy, which is measured by the size, structure, and growth of each city's economy, assessing historical performance and future potential.

In terms of human capital, which measures the educational and business climate of each city in line with demographic trends, Kuala Lumpur is ranked 21st.

The index indicates that Kuala Lumpur ranks 391st for quality of life, which considers the benefits of living in each city and the well-being of its residents, including financial and health outcomes, as well as access to amenities.

In the categories of environment and governance, Kuala Lumpur is ranked 526th and 334th out of 1,000 cities worldwide, respectively.

Besides Kuala Lumpur, other Malaysian cities on the index include George Town, at 351st, followed by Melaka at 359th and Johor Baru at 376th.

Oxford Economics City Services director Mark Britton, said cities are the centres of human civilisation where innovation, diversity, and progress converge.

However, he said that the complex dynamics of cities often reduce the general understanding of the factors that make a city successful.

"The Oxford Economics Global Cities Index provides a consistent framework for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the world's 1,000 greatest cities. Combined with our projections, it enables organisations and policymakers to make more informed strategic decisions.

"While the index scores are based on current performance, there is significant potential for movement in the rankings in the coming years as these 1,000 global cities navigate various global trends.

"These include economic uncertainty, political instability, high debt levels, globalisation trends, pressures on health and housing, and the impacts of climate change. These are among the global trends that could potentially alter the rankings," he said.