Beijing has secured the top position nationally for talent stickiness, according to the 2026 Global Cities Talent Stickiness Index Report released yesterday at the 2026 China-Europe Talent Forum. The capital ranked first among Chinese cities and fifth globally among major cities worldwide.
The concept of urban talent stickiness was introduced in 2020 by the Beijing Institute of Talent Development Strategy. It measures talent stickiness across global key cities through a comprehensive indicator system, generating indices and rankings to help city administrators better attract, serve, and retain talent. This year's evaluation expanded coverage to 130 cities across six continents and 47 countries, significantly broadening its scope.
Beijing remains the global leader in the innovation momentum dimension. The report assesses talent stickiness performance across six dimensions: economic foundation, innovation momentum, cultural openness, ecological health, social welfare, and public life. Among the top 10 globally ranked cities in 2026, New York, London, San Francisco, Paris, and Beijing firmly hold the top five positions. Beijing has ranked first among Chinese cities for talent stickiness and has consistently placed within the global top 10 for seven consecutive years, maintaining a high score that demonstrates robust and enduring talent attraction and retention capabilities.
Looking at regional distribution and trends, European cities display strong overall performance, while Chinese cities show notable progress. Among the top 50 ranked cities, European cities account for 19 slots, with Chinese cities taking six. Over the past year, 14 of the 34 European cities improved their rankings, while 21 of the 43 Chinese cities climbed higher—meaning nearly half of all Chinese cities surveyed moved up.
Leading cities have developed distinct comparative advantages across different dimensions. The report highlights San Francisco and New York for outstanding economic foundations, while Beijing, London, and San Francisco demonstrate clear strengths in innovation momentum. London and Singapore excel in cultural openness, Tokyo and Sydney lead in ecological health, London and New York perform exceptionally in social welfare, and Tokyo stands out in public life. Beijing claimed the top spot in the innovation momentum dimension once again, reflecting its ongoing efforts to build an international science and technology innovation center. With sustained increases in research investment and output, Beijing has cultivated a globally influential innovation ecosystem, ranking among the world's best in research output, concentration of top scientists, and the presence of world-leading research institutions.
San Francisco, Beijing, and London emerge as winners in talent stickiness during the artificial intelligence era. The report continues its special focus on AI, examining how rapid technological advancements affect global urban talent stickiness. It analyzes the relationship between top AI scientist concentration, research output, industrial transformation, and urban talent stickiness across major global cities. San Francisco, Beijing, and London, as world-class tech hubs with mature and comprehensive innovation systems, have seen AI development amplify their existing advantages, keeping their talent stickiness consistently high. Beijing, by gathering top universities, research institutes, leading enterprises, and unicorn companies, exerts powerful pull on talent through its continuously evolving innovation framework, abundant industry-academia-research conversion channels, and robust high-level talent support policies. Cities like Zurich and Abu Dhabi have proactively seized the AI transformation window, concentrating resources on AI industry chains and innovation platforms, achieving coordinated development between industrial opportunities and urban ecosystems while steadily enhancing talent stickiness. Meanwhile, cities slower to embrace AI have witnessed their rankings decline.
The conversion of innovation advantages depends heavily on comprehensive talent development ecosystems. The report concludes that AI research and industrial competitiveness have become critical determinants of urban talent stickiness. However, whether innovation strengths can translate into advantages in talent aggregation relies extensively on the city's overall talent development environment. For the AI era, the report recommends three strategic approaches: First, build a foundation for talent attraction through a vibrant innovation ecosystem. Cities should identify differentiated tracks within the innovation chain based on their resource endowments and industrial positioning, creating irreplaceable platforms for talent value realization. By establishing a full-chain innovation ecosystem spanning basic research, technology transformation, and industrial application, cities can provide matching growth opportunities and development pathways for global talent, fostering a virtuous cycle between industrial upgrading and talent concentration. Second, shift from singular industry development to comprehensive ecosystem cultivation. Cities should create livable, work-friendly, and aesthetically pleasing environments, nurture diverse and inclusive urban cultures, and provide comprehensive ecological support for talent career development. Encouraging intellectual collisions and knowledge flow helps form a collaborative atmosphere where talent mutually empowers one another, strengthening emotional connections and identity with the city—making it fertile ground for career growth. Third, adopt forward-looking, flexible, and open governance systems for the future. Cities should position talent attraction and concentration as their core long-term development strategy, actively mobilizing all sectors of society to solidify the foundation of urban talent development and create a high-quality environment for talent growth.
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