International recognition: ratings, which Moscow entered in 2020

Moscow continues to improve its position in the international rankings. In 2020, the Russian capital became the fourth best city in the world.

According to the Analytical Center of Moscow, in 2020 Moscow improved its positions in 23 international rankings. In addition, the capital was ranked high in four of the eight first published.

This recognition is associated with positive dynamics in the development of the capital's economy, innovation and start-ups, with the growth of digitalization and an improvement in the quality of life of citizens. In what ratings did the Russian capital enter in 2020 and how much it improved its positions - see this mos.ru article.

In 2020, Moscow was included in the list of The World`s 100 Best Cities by the international consulting agency Resonance Consultancy. In January, the capital took fifth place in it, and in October, it climbed to fourth, ahead of Tokyo, Singapore and Dubai.

“High positions in the rating confirm the status of Moscow as one of the most demanded cities for life, business and travel in the world, even in such a difficult period,” said Vladimir Yefimov, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Economic Policy and Property and Land Relations.

The cities were assessed according to several criteria. Moscow became the first in the Product category (infrastructure and attractions) and entered the top three in the Place category (improvement and development of the environment). According to the authors of the rating, the capital has become more attractive for walking thanks to the My Street program.

Moscow also took 12th place in the CEOWORLD Magazine ranking. It ranks cities in terms of their impact on the global economy, given their ability to attract people, capital and business. The ranking provides an analysis of thousands of cities. Their indicators are divided into five categories: Economic Power, Financial Clout, People and Political, Quality of Life, Competitiveness.

In the rating of attractiveness of cities for moving and the life of foreigners by InterNations, the Russian capital has risen from 54th to 17th place. Moscow bypassed Berlin, New York and Zurich. The rating is based on surveys in which more than 15 thousand people from 181 countries took part.

“Moscow was rated the highest in terms of job satisfaction and career opportunities (12th place) and financial position (16th). The public transport system (19th place) and the affordability of housing (21st) were also highly appreciated by expats,” said Kirill Purtov, Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the Moscow Department of Economic Policy and Development.  

Economic growth

Moscow moved up 26 points in the Z/Yen rating of global financial centers, taking 62nd place out of 111. This was the capital's best result since 2011. There are 138 indicators, divided into five groups, which assess the cities in the ranking. These are the Business Environment, Financial Sector Development, Human Capital, Infrastructure and Reputation. Moscow has overtaken such large economic centers as Istanbul, Sao Paoloand Rio de Janeiro.

“Moscow has been steadily improving its performance in the ranking since 2017. The city is developing global investment projects, such as the special economic zone (SEZ) Technopolis Moscow, providing comprehensive support to business and actively forming an effective investment ecosystem. All these indicators once again confirm the status of the capital as one of the largest financial centers in the world,” said Vladimir Efimov.

One of the major economic achievements of the capital was the victory of the SEZ Technopolis Moscow in six special nominations in the Global Free Zones of the Year rating of fDi Magazine. Among them are Cluster Development, COVID-19 Support, PPP, Real Estate Flexibility, Red Tape Reduction and Workforce Amenities.

Technopolis Moscow for the first time participated in the ranking of special economic zones of the world. The experts evaluated the activities of each participant in 80 nominations. The authors of the rating highly praised the possibilities of the Technopolis, including the localization of production within the framework of offset contracts. In addition, experts separately assessed its contribution to the fight against the pandemic.

Global Free Zones of the Year is the only international ranking of special economic zones that is globally recognized and published regularly.

Moscow ranked 32nd in the ranking of 100 global innovation clusters in September. The data are published in the Global Innovation Index report, which is compiled by the World Intellectual Property Organization at the United Nations in partnership with Cornell University and the French business school Insead. Thanks to the systematic support of innovative companies and projects, the Russian capital has improved its positions by 25 points in just three years. Today, Moscow is ranked next to such cities as Singapore and Philadelphia, ahead of Toronto, Zurich and Melbourne.

International consulting company EY, during the period of restrictions associated with the coronavirus pandemic, conducted a study in which it noted the anti-crisis program of the Moscow Government. It was developed in addition to federal support measures to help those affected by the spread of COVID-19 overcome a difficult period. This combination sets Moscow apart from the background of New York, London and Hong Kong, where the city's business support measures were practically not used.

Digitalization in Moscow

The development of digital services and electronic infrastructure in Moscow has helped Moscow companies to quickly transfer their business to an online format. The successful development of this sector is evidenced by the fact that Moscow is in the top 20 of the pilot ranking fDi Intelligence Tech Cities of the Future. It includes the cities in Europe that are the most promising for investments in technology, innovation and start-ups.

“The IT and communications industry is one of the key sectors for the capital's economy. For several years now, the IT industry has been growing at a rate that exceeds the average growth rate of the urban economy. The result of systematic collaboration between the city and the industry is the emergence of new services and the development of existing resources, which in Moscow have already developed into a full-fledged digital ecosystem. All this makes the capital even more comfortable and convenient for life, a city where almost any life situation can be resolved online,” emphasized Eduard Lysenko, Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the Department of Information Technologies.

The capital was ranked 18th out of 76 in the overall rating and 10th in the Startup Environment category. This is evidence of Moscow's success in creating conditions for the development of technology entrepreneurship. In July, the Russian capital was included in the international rating "Top 100 Emerging Ecosystems" Moscow took 20th place. She was ahead of such cities as Taipei, Milan, Chengdu, Hamburg, Vienna. In the overall ranking, Moscow received the highest scores on two of four indicators - the availability of financing, as well as the level of talent development and accumulated experience.