A Decade’s Worth: Benchmarking Sydney 2026

Ten years ago, the Committee for Sydney partnered with The Business of Cities to conduct an annual benchmarking of Sydney’s performance against the world’s leading cities. A Decade’s Worth draws on a decade of insights to examine how Sydney’s performance has evolved, where we’ve gained and lost ground, and what our trajectory reveals about our city’s future global competitiveness.  

The findings point to a city that is stronger and more capable than it was a decade ago. Sustained investment and reform have expanded transport capacity, deepened Sydney’s talent and innovation base, strengthened centres beyond the CBD and maintained many of the liveability advantages that continue to set the city apart. At the same time, Sydney faces a more demanding competitive environment, with increasingly ambitious global peers and persistent challenges around housing, productivity, access and resilience.  

Key findings

• 2nd most improved for rapid transport capacity added, ahead of every major European and North American city measured 
• Top 1% of OECD cities for migrant diversity 
• Two universities in the world’s top 30 
• Top 10 globally for world-class cultural events 
• Only San Francisco recorded more new unicorn companies among Sydney’s peers 
• 14 times median household income to buy a home, making Sydney less affordable than every English-speaking market measured except Hong Kong.

 Lessons and priorities for the decade ahead 

• Build confidence – Sydney enters the next decade from a position of greater strength, with a deeper platform of talent, infrastructure, innovation and liveability to build from
• Shift the conversation from catching up to choosing where to lead – the opportunity now is to be more deliberate about the industries, places and capabilities Sydney wants to scale
• Turn capability into results – lift productivity and commercialisation, improve access to opportunity across the city, and get more from the infrastructure and institutions already in place
• Protect and renew Sydney’s competitive advantages – tackle affordability, strengthen resilience and continue investing in the culture and lifestyle qualities that make Sydney distinctive on the world stage
• Match global credentials with global ambition – sharpen Sydney’s international story, deepen connectivity and build a more confident voice
• Create momentum for sustained, coordinated action – encourage government, business and institutions to treat the next decade as a shared opportunity that requires consistency and intent, not one-off interventions.