Global Aesthetic Cities Index

Which cities are the most aesthetically pleasing?

From the elegant feel of faux wood blinds to the grandeur of a big painting, the aesthetic appeal of things is important to us, and the beauty of cities is no exception. With 1,172 UNESCO World Heritage Sites across the globe as of 2023 and over 400,000 listed buildings in the UK alone, it appears that there is a vast amount of beauty worth protecting.

To find out which areas of the UK and the world are deemed the most exquisite, we have put together the Global Aesthetic Cities Index. Using data from Instagram, TikTok, and more, we have provided each city with an overall aesthetic rating. Here’s what we found.

With a score of 9.05 /10, Edinburgh takes the title of the most aesthetic area in the UK

To kick off our Global Aesthetic Cities Index, we have gathered data specific to the UK to determine which areas have been deemed the most aesthetic.

1.

Edinburgh

9.05/10

Aesthetic city score

Edinburgh takes the crown as the most aesthetically pleasing city in the UK, obtaining an impressive overall score of 9.05 /10. Of all the contributing factors, Edinburgh is a big hit on TikTok, amassing over 265,000 views for aesthetic-related hashtags on the site - more than any other area in our top three.

2.

Liverpool

9.00/10

Aesthetic city score

Liverpool is falling just shy of the top spot, with a score of 9 /10. Despite having the fewest listed buildings in our top three, this city is home to 74 landmarks per 100,000 residents, meaning there is something for everyone here. People are also keen to learn more about what makes Liverpool beautiful, evidenced by the 145,750 aesthetic-related Google searches of this city.

3.

Leeds

8.90/10

Aesthetic city score

Completing our top three list of the most aesthetic cities in the UK is Leeds. Scoring consistently well across the board, Leeds offers a lot of beauty. This English city is equally famous on Instagram and TikTok, clocking up 17,477 posts and 16,256 views, respectively.

The most aesthetic areas in the UK

Key: Listed buildings per 100,000 residents Landmarks per 100,000 residents Total aesthetic Instagram posts Total aesthetic TikTok views Aesthetic-related Google searches (Sept 2022-Aug 2023) Overall aesthetic city score /10

	City

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No area in the UK has more listed buildings than Edinburgh, totalling 2,125 per 100,000 residents

Located all over the UK, listed buildings are highly regarded for their historic interest. With such impressive architectural features, local authorities must protect these properties, but which areas are home to the most listed buildings?

1.

Edinburgh

2,125

per 100,000 residents

With 2,125 listed buildings per 100,000 residents, Edinburgh takes the top spot on our ranking. One look at this beautiful city, and it is clear why so many of its buildings are protected. Of the 9,882 listed buildings in this city, over a third are located in Edinburgh’s City Centre ward.

2.

City of Westminster

1,642

per 100,000 residents

3.

Aberdeen

1,038

per 100,000 residents

UK areas with the most listed buildings per 100,000 residents

Key: Number of listed Buildings Listed buildings per 100,000 residents

	City

Newcastle upon Tyne is home to over 100 landmarks per 100,000 residents - more than any other UK area

The following ranking on our Global Aesthetic Cities Index reveals the UK areas with the most significant number of landmarks per 100,000 residents.

1.

Newcastle upon Tyne

106

per 100,000 residents

This city may not have the most extensive number of landmarks, but when population is considered, you won’t find an area with a higher ratio of landmarks to residents. From museums to stadiums, Newcastle is packed with attractive scenery, but one of the most recognisable landmarks here is the Tyne Bridge.

2.

Liverpool

74

per 100,000 residents

3.

Edinburgh

66

per 100,000 residents

UK areas with the most landmarks per 100,000 residents

Key: Number of landmarks Landmarks per 100,000 residents

	City

Edinburgh is the most popular UK area when it comes to Instagram, tallying up over 52,000 aesthetic-related posts

Instagram is one of the world's most popular photo-sharing sites, making it a haven for people posting artsy images of their favourite spots. But which UK areas have been featured the most? Here's what we found.

1.

Edinburgh

52,643

Instagram posts

After previously featuring at the top of our listed buildings ranking earlier on the Global Aesthetic Cities Index, it may come as no surprise that Edinburgh is the most popular UK area regarding aesthetic Instagram posts. The 52,643 Instagram mentions include over 40,000 posts using #beautifuledinburgh and around 10,000 for #edinburghviews.

2.

Liverpool

32,238

Instagram posts

3.

Leeds

17,477

Instagram posts

UK areas with the most aesthetic Instagram posts

Key: #beautiful Instagram posts #views Instagram posts Total aesthetic Instagram posts

	City

With over 260,000 TikTok views, Edinburgh has more aesthetic-related TikTok views than any other UK area

The video-sharing platform, TikTok, is loved by many for its short and snappy content, and beautiful landscapes are no exception. Below is a list of UK areas garnering the most aesthetic-related TikTok views.

1.

Edinburgh

265,900

TikTok views

Taking the top spot on our list of UK areas with the most aesthetic TikTok views is the Scottish capital of Edinburgh. Of this area's 265,900 aesthetic-related TikTok views, the most popular videos include travel guides showcasing some of Edinburgh's most lavish locations.

2.

Liverpool

143,408

TikTok views

3.

Birmingham

97,300

TikTok views

UK areas with the most aesthetic TikTok views

Key: #beautiful TikTok views #views TikTok views Total aesthetic TikTok views

	City

Liverpool has racked up over 145,000 aesthetic-related Google searches in the last year - more than any other area in the UK

Nowadays, we turn to Google for almost anything, which is no more apparent than when it comes to awe-inspiring cities. Below is a list of UK areas with the most Google searches for aesthetic-related terms last year.

1.

Liverpool

145,750

Google searches

After hosting the 67th edition of Eurovision earlier this year, the beauty of Liverpool has been showcased to the world, evidenced by the mammoth number of global aesthetic-related Google searches, totalling over 145,000. Amongst the things which make Liverpool stand out are its rich cultural heritage and breathtaking architecture.

2.

Leicester

71,500

Google searches

3.

Luton

59,320

Google searches

UK areas with the most aesthetic Google searches

Key: Aesthetic-Related Google Searches (Sept 2022-Aug 2023)

	City

Rome is the most aesthetic city in the world, boasting a score of 9.13 /10

From a local to a global scale, which worldwide cities will make you want to open your roller blinds and admire the views? The final ranking on our Global Aesthetic Cities Index concerns the most aesthetic cities worldwide.

1.

Rome

9.13/10

Aesthetic city score

Boasting an overall score of 9.13 /10, Rome is revealed as more aesthetically pleasing than any other city in the world. With more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other city on our list, totalling 8, it appears that Rome is full of treasured landmarks, and this factor has contributed to its first-place entry on our list.

2.

Paris

8.69/10

Aesthetic city score

The French capital, Paris, is next on our list of the most aesthetic cities in the world, with a score of 8.69 /10. Some may be surprised to see this city fall shy of the top spot, but this area’s position on our ranking is not to be overlooked. Paris has amassed over 28 million TikTok views for #beautifulparis and #parisviews - around twice as much as their total population.

3.

London

8.39/10

Aesthetic city score

Completing our top three list of the world’s most aesthetic cities is London, with an overall score of 8.39 /10. London may be home to the fewest landmarks in our top three, totalling 13 per 100,000 residents, but what this city might lack in quantity, it certainly makes up for in quality.

The most aesthetic cities in the world

Key: Number of World Heritage Sites Landmarks per 100,000 residents Total aesthetic Instagram posts Total aesthetic TikTok views Aesthetic-related Google searches (Sept 2022-Aug 2023) Overall aesthetic city score /10

	City	Country

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Methodology

We made two lists: one with the 50 most populated UK cities/ towns and the other with the capital cities of all OECD, EU and G20 countries. We removed Russia and any areas where we could not find all the data.

We used British Listed Buildings to find the number of listed buildings in each UK area.

By dividing the total number of listed buildings by each area's population and multiplying this by 100,000, we calculated the number of listed buildings per 100,000 residents.

We used Wikipedia to find the number of world heritage sites in each capital city.

We used Tripadvisor to find the number of landmarks in each area (data was collected on 13/09/2023).

By dividing the number of landmarks by each area's population and multiplying this by 100,000, we calculated the number of landmarks per 100,000 residents.

We used Instagram to find the number of posts using the following hashtags: #beautiful(location) and #(location)views. We used the same hashtags to see each location's number of TikTok views. We added the total number of #beautiful and #view hashtag posts for Instagram and TikTok to find the total aesthetic posts for each location.

We used Google Ads Keyword Planner to add up the total number of global searches for the following terms between Sept 2022-Aug 2023: 'beautiful + location', 'aesthetic + location', 'location + beautiful', 'location + aesthetic', and 'location + views' (data was collected on 13/09/2023).

Finally, we used the aesthetic factors (listed buildings/world heritage sites, number of landmarks, Instagram posts, TikTok views, aesthetic-related Google searches) and normalised each element out of 10 before taking an average of those scores to get our overall 'aesthetic score' for each area.