London no longer most popular city in the UK, according to YouGov poll

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London was once the most popular city in the UK. But not any more.

According to a recent survey by YouGov, the capital has been knocked off the top spot and now ranks third, being beaten by Edinburgh and York. The survey found that York and the capital of Scotland were joint first with scores of 74 per cent.

Popularity is defined as the percentage of people who have a positive opinion of a city.

London is now in third with 63 per cent despite its huge array of restaurants and bars, different cuisines, top tourist locations and famous parks. Just 17 per cent of the public said that they disliked the capital of the UK.

Below London came Cambridge and Oxford with 62 per cent and 61 per cent respectively while Liverpool and Manchester were lower but still within the top 10 at 58 per cent and 55 per cent.

However, in terms of the fame ranking (fame is defined by the percentage of people who have heard of a city), London gets a score of 100 per cent.

This comes after London was awarded best city in Europe for 2024 and, within this, top for culture and educational attainment, by Resonance Consultancy last month.

“For the second year in a row, London reigns over all European cities. Despite crippling Covid lockdowns and economic devastation. Despite Brexit. Despite a war in Europe,” the report said. “The city is top of mind for students, foreign investors and tourists, all eager to get back out and plug into a place that topped all three of our overall indices: Livability, Lovability and Prosperity .”

Full list of the most popular cities in the UK 

York – 74%

Edinburgh – 74%

London – 63%

Cambridge – 62%

Oxford – 61%

Brighton – 60%

Liverpool – 58%

Manchester – 55%

Portsmouth – 55%

Bristol – 54%

Durham – 54%

Exeter – 53%

Newcastle upon Tyne – 52%

Glasgow – 51%

Cardiff – 50%

Plymouth – 49%

Belfast – 47%

Norwich – 47%

Gloucester – 47%

Leeds – 46%

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