Copenhagen named most 'open for business' in ranking of 149 cities
A report by Open for Business has named Copenhagen the most ‘open for business’ city in a ranking of 149 cities around the globe. The ratings examine cities according to economic competitiveness and LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Copenhagen is the highest scoring city in this year’s City Ratings (AAA), driven by exemplary LGBTQ+ inclusion policies and strong economic performance. The Danish capital excels in innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly in clean technology and life sciences, while maintaining a thriving startup ecosystem that attracts diverse international talent.
The city earns top marks on LGBTQ+ inclusion, across both metrics of social acceptance and life satisfaction metrics, including comprehensive mental health services for the LGBTQ+ community. Denmark was also the first country in the world to grant legal recognition to same-sex unions in the form of registered partnerships in 1989.
“[...], research consistently demonstrates that more inclusive cities tend to attract top talent, foster innovation, and build more resilient economies. The correlation between LGBTQ+ inclusion and economic vitality is particularly evident, with more inclusive cities showing higher rates of innovation, stronger human capital development, and greater success in attracting international investment", says Dominic Arnall, CEO, Open for Business
About the report
The Open for Business City Ratings is produced by Open for Business, who represent a coalition of global businesses and specialise in the economic case for inclusion, in collaboration with data partner Oxford Economics. The ratings examine the cities according to economic competitiveness and LGBTQ+ inclusion. Open for Business’ report includes a number of new data sets that point to positive correlations between LGBTQ+ inclusion and human capital, entrepreneurship and economic competitiveness. The report finds that LGBTQ+ inclusion can lead to 4x stronger human capital, 2.5x levels of entrepreneurship and 2.3x economic competitiveness, compared to cities that are less inclusive.
Open for Business’ City Ratings report presents comprehensive data supporting its assertions through analysis of key urban metrics. These include business environment accessibility, network readiness, corruption levels, innovation ecosystem health, quality of life standards, and LGBTQ+ inclusivity and legal protections. This data has been synthesised into the Open for Business City Ratings, which combines 27 individual indicators from a number of well-respected data sources to produce a picture of which cities are open, progressive and competitive, and which are not.
Facts
- The Open for Business City Ratings 2025 is a report by the coalition Open for Business and data partner Oxford Economics
- The ratings examine economic competitiveness and LGBTQ+ inclusion in cities worldwide
- The report points towards a positive correlation between LGBTQ+ inclusion and human capital, entrepreneurship and economic competitiveness.
- LGBTQ+ inclusion can lead to 4x stronger human capital
- Entrepreneurship can double for LGBTQ+ inclusive cities, as can economic competitiveness
- Open for Business’ City Ratings are determined by a combination of 27 metrics from a number of well-respected sources.
- The cities have received scores based on the sub-categories: economic performance, innovation, business environment, human capital and entrepreneurship and, for LGBTQ+ inclusion, social attitudes and legal situation.
"We can be very proud that Copenhagen has topped this list, especially given the challenging global headwinds. We know from our own work with Danish businesses that diversity, equity and inclusion are core Danish values and Open for Business’ new city rankings demonstrate that standing with the LGBTQIA+ community is not only the right thing to do but it also makes good business sense", says Benjamin Hansen, Chairperson, Copenhagen Pride
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