London

London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with 9.14 million inhabitants in 2025 and a metropolitan area of about 15.4 million, the largest in Western Europe. It stands on the River Thames in southeast England and has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years, since the Romans founded Londinium. Since 1965 it has largely formed Greater London, governed by 33 local authorities and the Greater London Authority.

Resonance Consultancy ranks London No. 1 in its World's Best Cities 2026 report, for the 11th year in a row; the city tops three of the report's 34 subcategories, including airports and large companies, and ranks first, second and third in its Prosperity, Lovability and Livability indexes. Oxford Economics places it No. 2 in its Global Cities Index 2026 of the world's 1,000 largest cities. Time Out ranks London No. 4 in its 2026 list of the best cities in the world, calling it "the most London-y city in the world", after No. 5 in 2025.

London is Europe's largest city economy and one of the world's major financial centres, and it is the most-visited city in Europe. It has the world's busiest city airport system, and its Underground is the oldest rapid transit system in the world. More than 50 universities and colleges enrolled over 500,000 students in 2023, and over 300 languages are spoken in the city. According to Resonance, international visitors spent almost $22 billion there in 2024, while Time Out singles out its free museums and galleries and its pub culture.

Sources of this text: Wikipedia · Resonance Consultancy · Oxford Economics · Time Out