The World’s Most Productive Cities for Employees

From how you’ll fund it to what you’ll call it, there’s so many things to think about when starting your own business. 

One of the biggest decisions to make is where to set up shop, but deciding the best location for you and your new business can be tricky. When looking for the right place, you’ll want to think about things like competition, accessibility, and potential for growth, but you also need to consider where might be best for your productivity levels, and for those of your employees.

With this in mind, we at Business Name Generator have looked at over 80 cities in the UK and worldwide (30 cities in the UK and 52 global cities), to determine where is best for employee and business productivity. 

The study has considered various lifestyle metrics and employee productivity metrics, combining them to reveal an overall ranking of the world’s most productive cities. The team has also provided some top tips for getting started with your own business. 

Lifestyle factors analysed in this study to measure best cities for employee productivity:

• Quality of life score
• Healthcare index
• Noise and light pollution
• Commuting times
• WiFi speed

Economic factors analysed in this study to measure employee productivity:

• Gross value added (GVA) per working hour for UK city ranking, GDP per working hour at country level for global city ranking
• Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in each city for the UK, GDP at country level for global city ranking

Key Findings 

They key findings from the study revealed:

• Milton Keynes is the best city for productivity in the UK with a high quality of life score (197/240), relatively low commuting times (23 mins per day), and the second highest GVA per hour worked after London (£45.90).
• Southend-on-Sea is the least productive city where the GVA per hour worked is just £29.10 and GDP per capita is as low as £19,337. 
• Luxembourg is the best global city for productivity. As a country, Luxembourg sees the highest GDP per capita in the study (£112,120) and the city of Luxembourg has a very high quality of life score (203/240) and a very low noise and light pollution score (29/100).
• Jakarta, Indonesia is the worst city in the ranking for productivity. The city ranks lowest for its lifestyle factors, with very slow WiFi speeds (37 Mbps), and a low healthcare index score (57/100). Indonesia also ranks low for economic productivity indicators with a GDP per capita of £3,830 — almost 30 times less than in Luxembourg.  

The Best Cities for Productivity in the UK

1. Milton Keynes

Taking the crown for the number one city in the UK for overall productivity is Milton Keynes, with the city ranking as the second best location for both fostering a productive lifestyle and for economic productivity. 

The city has the highest quality of life of any city analysed, with a score of 197 out of a possible score of 240, which can give an indication of how content employees might be here. This index score takes into account various factors including purchasing power, pollution levels, housing affordability, cost of living, safety, healthcare, and climate conditions in a city. 

Milton Keynes also has a relatively high healthcare index score of 76 out of a possible score of 100, which provides an assessment of the healthcare infrastructure, services, and resources available in a specific location. 

Having a stress-free environment to both work and live in is also important for productivity, and Milton Keynes has the second lowest levels of noise and light pollution of all cities analysed, with a score of 27.5 out of 100. How long an employee has to spend travelling in a day can also play a part in how productive they are, and in Milton Keynes, average commute times are as low as 23 minutes per day. 

When looking at economic factors, the gross-value added (GVA) per hour worked in Milton Keynes is £45.90 – the second highest after London. This is a measurement of labour productivity, looking at how efficient labour input is compared to other factors of production. The GDP per capita in the city is also very high, at £55,338, which is a measurement of the economic output of a city (or country) per person. 

2. Edinburgh

In second place is Edinburgh. The city ranks as the third best city for a productive lifestyle, with a quality of life score of 179 and noise and light pollution levels given a score of 36. The Scottish city also has an even higher healthcare index score than Milton Keynes, at 79.

Edinburgh also ranks as the third best city for economic performance. GVA per hour worked is only ever so slightly lower than in Milton Keynes, at £44.10, and GDP per capita is also just a little less, at £51,776. 

3. Kingston Upon Hull

Coming in third place, and ranking as the best city in the UK for fostering a productive lifestyle for employees, is Kingston upon Hull. The northern city sees the lowest levels for noise and light pollution (25) of all cities analysed, and it also has the fastest WiFi speeds of 179 Mbps — great for those with desk-based roles. Quality of life is also scored only slightly lower than Milton Keynes and Edinburgh, at 166. 

Despite ranking high for its lifestyle factors, the city ranks much lower when it comes to economic productivity, coming in 27th on this individual list. GVA per hour worked in Hull is just £29.40 — over £15 less than in Milton Keynes — and GDP per capita is only £25,815 — less than half the amount in Edinburgh. 

The top 10 most productive cities in the UK:

The Least Productive Cities in the UK

Southend-on-Sea

With an even higher commuting time than London (48 minutes), Southend-on-Sea has come in as the least productive city in the UK. In fact, the city ranks as the worst place in the UK for having both an efficient lifestyle for employees and for economic productivity.

Noise and light pollution levels are very high in Southend-on-Sea, with a score of 71, and its healthcare index is also relatively low, at 60. 

In terms of financial output, GVA per hour worked in the coastal city is just £29.10 and GDP per capita is as low as £19,337 — both figures are the lowest of any city analysed. 

Bradford

With the second lowest quality of life score (139) of any location in the study, Bradford has come in second place overall. Noise and light pollution is only a little lower here than in Southend-on-Sea (64), and commute times are as high as 44 minutes per day. 

GVA per hour worked in Bradford is also only a little higher than Southend-on-Sea, at £30.60, and GDP per capita is just £21,778.

Wolverhampton

In third place is Wolverhampton. The Midlands city sees the highest noise and light pollution levels of all cities analysed, with a score of 75, though it does have the highest healthcare index score of any location, at 85, which could play a part in keeping you and your employees happy and healthy. 

In terms of economic productivity, GDP per capita is one of the lowest at £23,606, and GVA per hour worked is only £32.10. 

The top 10 least productive cities in the UK:

The Best Cities in the World for Productivity

For those looking to set up their business a little further afield, we’ve also looked into which cities are the best for productivity around the world. 

1. Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

Luxembourg has ranked as the best global city for productivity. As a country, Luxembourg sees the highest GDP per capita (£112,120) and also the second highest GDP per hour worked (£80) — despite being one of the smallest countries in Europe. 

The capital city also ranks as the third best place for fostering a productive environment, with a huge score of 203 for its quality of life, and one of the lowest levels of noise and light pollution (29). Those employees who commute to work also tend to spend just 26 minutes per day doing so, which is 12 minutes less than the 38 minute average across all global cities analysed.

2. Oslo, Norway

In second place for overall productivity is Oslo, Norway. The Scandinavian city ranks particularly high when looking at economic productivity indicators, with Norway having the third highest GDP per capita (£91,946) and GDP per hour worked (£67) of all countries analysed. 

Oslo ranks a little lower down the lifestyle list in ninth place, but it does have a relatively high healthcare index (79) and quality of life (176). Commuting times are also just a little higher than in Luxembourg, at 28 minutes on average.

3. Reykjavik, Iceland

Ranking as the best place for a productive lifestyle, and coming in third overall, is Reykjavik in Iceland. Perhaps the best place for a calm working environment, the city has the lowest commuting time of all cities analysed at 22 minutes, and also the lowest noise and light pollution score of 19. Quality of life in the city is also ranked high, with a score of 184. 

However, when looking at solely economic factors, Iceland’s capital slips to 14th place on the list. Its GDP per capita is almost half the number of Luxembourg (£55,693) and GDP per hour worked in the city is the lowest of all locations in the overall top five, at £53.

The top 10 most productive cities in the world:

The Least Productive Cities in the World 

Jakarta, Indonesia

Coming in as the worst city in the ranking for business and employee productivity is Jakarta, Indonesia. The city ranks lowest for its lifestyle factors, with WiFi speeds of just 37 Mbps, a healthcare index score of 57, and a quality of life score of 74 — over half that of the city of Luxembourg. 

When it comes to economic productivity, GDP per hour worked in Indonesia is just £10, and GDP per capita is £3,830 — almost 30 times less than in Luxembourg.  

Manila, Philippines

With the lowest quality of life score of all cities analysed (46), Manila in the Philippines has come in second place. 

The city has one of the highest levels of noise and light pollution, at 67, and when looking at financial performance, GDP per capita in the Philippines is even lower than in Indonesia, at £2,799.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia 

With Cambodia ranking as the worst country in the global ranking for economic productivity, Phnom Penh ranks as the third worst location for employee productivity, also scoring low for lifestyle metrics relating to productivity.

The city not only has the lowest healthcare index score (50) and WiFi speeds (22 Mbps) of all cities analysed, but when it comes to economic factors, Cambodia also has the lowest GDP per capita (£1,429) and the lowest GDP per hour worked (£3) of all cities analysed. 

The top 10 least productive cities in the world:

Economic Productivity vs. Productive Environments 

Some cities might have the most productive employees in an economic sense, but this doesn’t mean they are the best environment for a happy and healthy (or productive) lifestyle. 

For instance, perhaps unsurprisingly, London ranks as the best city in the UK when it comes to economic productivity, with GVA per hour worked in the city at £74.10, and GDP per capita at £59,855. However, the capital comes in 29th when considering just lifestyle factors. 

For example, London has the lowest quality of life of all cities analysed in the UK at 127, one of the highest commuting times of 45 minutes, which is much higher than the UK average of 30 minutes, and relatively high noise and light pollution score, at 55. 

Similarly, when looking at the worldwide rankings, Dublin, Ireland ranks as the best city for economic productivity, with GDP per hour worked at £105 and GDP per capita at £101,717 at a country level. However, the city only comes in at 16th place overall and is way down in 42nd place when considering only lifestyle factors, thanks to issues such as a low healthcare index (51), high commuting averages of 41 minutes, and a fairly low quality of life score of just 138. 

Working Weeks Around the World

The research has also explored which cities have the longest and shortest working weeks around the world, to determine if this has any correlation with how productive they might be. 

The shortest working week is found in Vienna, Austria, with employees tending to work around 29.5 hours, on average. Closely following is Paris, France with 30.1 hours, and Amsterdam, The Netherlands with 31.3 hours. Amsterdam and Vienna do rank within the top 10 most productive worldwide cities, coming in sixth and seventh respectively, so perhaps there is something to be said for the shorter working week. 

On the other end of the spectrum, employees in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, both in the UAE, tend to work an average of 52.6 hours a week. Following behind is Doha, Qatar with workers averaging 48 hours per week. Interestingly, both Doha and Abu Dhabi also find themselves within the top 10 list of most productive global cities, in ninth and tenth, respectively. 

In the UK, workers in Glasgow have the shortest average working week of around 35 hours, and the city ranks as the seventh most productive city in the UK overall and sixth place when only considering GVA per hour worked and GDP per capita in the city. 

Meanwhile, Wolverhampton is the UK city with the longest working week at 37.2 hours on average. Wolverhampton comes in at the third worst city for employee productivity, suggesting a longer working week doesn’t always indicate higher productivity.  

Top Tips for Setting Up Your Own Business 

Whether you’re looking to start your business in the UK or a little further afield, we’ve put together a few top tips for how to successfully set up your own company: 

1. Do your research

Once you’ve got your business idea, the next step is to do your research. There’s so many components to consider when starting a business, and you’ll need to look into things like who your target audience is, how much they’ll be willing to pay, where you might fit into the market, and who your competitors are. 

2. Look for the right location 

As part of your research, you’ll also need to look at which location is going to be best for your business. You’ll need to consider which area makes most sense in terms of where your target market is, as well as things like proximity to your suppliers, and how saturated a place is with competitors. 

As our study has shown, location can also play a big part in productivity levels, so you might want to consider where will foster the best working environment for you and your employees in the long-run. 

3. Create a solid business plan 

Your business plan will not only be a tool for attracting investment, but it should also serve as a strategy map for launching your business. You’ll need to include things like a market analysis, details on how you plan to structure your organisation, your mission and goals, an outline of your products or services, and your marketing plan. 

You’ll also need to think about where you see your business going and what you’ll need to do to grow and succeed. 

Now would also be a good time to think about how you will fund your business, and you should start looking into things like grants, loans, or business credit cards if needed. 

4. Sort the logistics  

There’s lots of logistics involved in setting up a business, including all the legal requirements like registering your business and applying for any licences, trademarks or permits you might need. 

Before you register the business, you’ll need to come up with a great name for it. This can be one of the most exciting parts of starting your own company, but if you’re struggling a little for inspiration, use our AI-powered business name generator to help you come up with some ideas.

5. Create brand awareness and grow your business

Once you get your business up and running, you’ll need to start building your customer base. A solid marketing strategy is really important here, and having a website and social media presence is essential to boost brand awareness. 

You’ll also want to think about building (and growing) your team, and scaling up when the time is right. Don’t forget, too, success won’t happen overnight, but believing in yourself and your business is the first step to achieving your goals. 

Methodology & Sources 

Business Name Generator pulled together a seedlist of 30 of the UK’s most populated cities as well as 52 cities in OECD and ASEAN countries.

• Quality of life per city
• Commuting times per city
• Noise and light pollution per city
• WiFi speed per city
• Healthcare index score per city
• GVA per hour worked per UK city* – to note, for the global ranking, GDP per hour worked data was countrywide. GDP per hour worked for global ranking converted from US dollar to British Pound Sterling at a rate of 0.8 on 21/11/2023.
• GDP per capita per UK city – to note, for the global ranking, GDP per capita per country was used. Varbes used for Reading (UK), Press and Journal used as reference for Aberdeen. World Data Bank used for Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, GDP per capita for global ranking converted from US dollar to British Pound Sterling at a rate of 0.8 on 21/11/2023.

All metrics were scored to create an overall index of most productive cities. GDP per hour worked and GDP per capita were also scored separately to create an index for most economically productive countries and cities (for UK). The remaining metrics were then also scored to create a separate index fo

r the best cities for fostering a productive lifestyle for employees.

*Please note GVA has been analysed for the UK due to it being how labour productivity is measured by the ONS. The relationship between GVA and GDP is defined as: GVA = GDP + subsidies and taxes on products.

We also looked at the cities and countries with the longest working week (metric not included in overall ranking):

• Weekly working hours per city in the UK, Nisra used for Belfast – to note, for the global ranking, weekly hours worked data was countrywide.
• World Population Review used for weekly hours worked for Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
• Statista Used for Greece
• Statista used for Vietnam
• Just Landed used for Kuwait