The University of Buenos Aires (UBA) presented a new edition of its Strategic City Management Index (IGEC) 2025, which analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of the country’s main residential cities. Prepared by the Smart Cities Center of the Faculty of Economics, for the second year in a row the most important urban conglomerates in Argentina have been evaluated and the The city of Buenos Aires took first place, followed by Mendoza and Córdoba. What distinguished them?
Omar Quiroga, head of the Smart Cities Center, explained: “The aim of this work is to establish one, both quantitatively and qualitatively.” Diagnosis of each of the cities examinedto understand their strengths and weaknesses, in order to obtain a diagnosis that will make it possible to develop innovative public policy strategies in the future or to rethink those already implemented in order to allow a harmonious and sustainable development.
“The objective remains the development of a meaningful indicator that makes it possible to create a starting point for measuring urban sustainability and implementing the Smart Cities agenda in the ten urban conglomerates analyzed,” emphasized Quiroga.
The results of the 2025 edition show a city that maintains its global leadership and stands out for the application of strategies for sustainable and high-quality urban development.
Ranking of the best cities to live in Argentina
The The Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA) took first place. with the highest overall rating and in each of the dimensions analyzed in the 2025 report. With a Overall score 3.65 (out of a maximum of 5)CABA is the only company that will maintain its top position from the previous year in this UBA index in 2025.
With this result it is logically significantly higher Average 3.06 points received from all ten cities. Thus the 2025 ranking of the best
- CABA – 3.65
- Mendoza – 3.34
- Cordoba – 3.25
- SM of Tucuman – 3.17
- Rosary – 3.16
- Saint John – 2.98
- Santa Fe – 2.98
- Jump – 2.85
- Mar del Plata – 2.74
- Resistance – 2.54
The approach the study used 5 dimensions. Each of them, in turn, is divided into 31 variables representative of the main priority areas. And these 31, in turn, open a wide range of 159 indicators, the data from which allow a quantitative and qualitative study of each of the urban centers analyzed.
2025 ranking of cities with the best quality of life in Argentina, according to UBA
The aim of the study, which will be carried out throughout 2025, is not to make a simple comparison between cities, but rather to offer one Diagnostics to understand your strengths, weaknesses and priorities.
What made the city of Buenos Aires special?
When analyzing the five dimensions that the IGEC evaluates, it is found that the city of Buenos Aires scored high in each of these dimensions.
Technology and infrastructure (3.75)
CABA receives the highest score in this dimension, including the Coverage of essential services (water, sewerage, electricity network) and the availability of technologies for local governance and citizen access. The average for this dimension (3.14) is the highest of all, although CABA significantly outperforms it.
Environment (3.76)
This dimension, which had the largest year-on-year improvement on average worldwide, measures environmental sustainability, waste management, energy efficiency and urban mobility. CABA leads this category with the highest score of all dimensions.
Society (3.70)
The focus is on human capital and social development, including education, culture, employment, health and safety. CABA leads the ranking in this areademonstrating an outstanding approach to social variables.
Economic development (3.68)
In this dimension, crucial variables for growth and job creation are analyzed, such as economic solvency, structural competitiveness and investment attractiveness. In this case, the city of Buenos Aires stands out above the dimension average (3.09).
Politics and institutions (3.35)
It assesses the capacity of local government in policy implementation, urban planning, citizen participation, transparency and strategic alliances. CABA remains a leader in this dimension.
Mendoza in the ranking of the most livable cities
City of Mendoza
The capital, Mendoza, remained clearly in second place of the UBA ranking, very close to CABA and expressive slight increases in their scores compared to the previous year.
Mendoza is particularly notable in the environmental dimension with a score of 3.65. It also achieved very good quality performance in the areas of technology and infrastructure (3.38) and society (3.25).
In the study, researchers emphasized that the results from this city indicate a It’s about the five dimensions between good and very goodwith a particular strength in ecological sustainability.
Córdoba completes the podium of the best Argentine cities of 2025
The capital, Córdoba, maintained its high overall rating with a score of 3.25, also with slight increases compared to 2024. The city is above the threshold of 3 points in the five dimensions analyzes what it places in the category “Good response on a global average.”
The best results can be found in the areas of technology and infrastructure (3.39), environment (3.35) and society (3.29).
They emphasized that although their score is high, their performance in the dimensions “Economic Development” and “Politics and Institutions” (both just above 3 points) received an “a” grade Opportunity to improve to move up the rankings.
The growth of San Miguel de Tucumán
San Miguel de Tucumán (SM de Tucumán) presents one of the most relevant cases of the 2025 study. Although it is in fourth place with a score of 3.17, the report highlights its a significant growth in its strategic development level compared to 2024.
This growth is supported by a strong push in the political and institutional dimensions. The city’s strategy was based on the application and monitoring of a strategic plan and an institutional organization, thus managing to promote the remaining dimensions.
The second best score is in Technology and Infrastructure with 3.47 nationally, surpassed only by CABA.
Development since the 2024 index
Four cities showed stability since 2024, another four improved and two showed slight negative fluctuations
In this edition of the IGEC, the global rating of the ten cities recorded a slight increase of 0.06 points on average, indicating an overall improvement compared to the previous year. In this context, CABA keeps its figures stable, with values similar to those in 2024 Mendoza, Cordoba and Rosario.
Just like San Miguel de Tucumán, Salta also improved its performance important while Mar del Plata and Resistencia achieved slight increases in his assessment. Finally, San Juan and Santa Fe show a slight decrease in their values, although they do not have relevant values.
The UBA report underlines the value of this index as a starting point for measuring urban sustainability and as a contribution to the continuous improvement of transformation processes. The aim is to collaborate in designing an appropriate city strategy to meet the challenges of the hyper-complex context and improve the quality of life of citizens.
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