Reading “Excels” for Good Economic Growth
10th September 2025
A new report by PwC/DEMOS, which ranks the UK’s top 50 cities for ‘good’ economic growth, ranks Reading among the top 10 best performers. The 2025 Good Growth for Cities report measures the economic wellbeing of the UK’s largest cities, excluding London, based on both the public’s assessment of what is important to them and the actual performance of 12 economic measures.
Reading, the only Berkshire destination included in the ranking, comes 8th in the ranking, while nearby Swindon ranks 5th. The Good Growth index measures cities against a series of criteria including jobs, health, income, safety and skills, as well as work-life balance, housing, transport, income equality, high street and shops, environment and business startups.
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Reading excelled in the following specific criteria:- jobs, income (2nd), health (2nd), new businesses, skills (6th) and the environment (7th). While Reading, in line with many of the other cities in the South-East, performs less well against criteria such as income distribution and the cost of housing, it performs relatively well compared to its direct competitors, such as Oxford and Cambridge.
Julian Gray, Regional Market Leader for PwC South-East, said: “The outcomes from this year's Good Growth for Cities Index provide a varied perspective. Cities like Southampton and Reading have excelled, whereas Oxford and Cambridge have experienced noticeable declines due to cost of living pressures and greater income inequality seen in this year’s indicators.
“The region's high-income levels are promising, yet the higher-than-average ratio of house prices to earnings highlights affordability challenges. Strong results in areas such as health, skills development, new business formation, and environmental excellence indicate a solid foundation for future growth prospects.”
Nigel Horton-Baker, Chief Executive of REDA, Reading’s Economy and Destination Agency, said: “The market for attracting relocating new businesses is hyper competitive in the UK with companies considering a wide range of criteria in their decision-making process. Reading competes against cities such as Oxford, Cambridge and the western fringes of London.
It is the quality of Reading’s excellent office buildings and connections to London and international airports as well as its relative performance against competitors in housing costs that make Reading a real player in the office market. Add to that a strong reputation for good health, low carbon emissions and a highly-skilled workforce and you get all the conditions for Reading to be the go-to relocation destination outside London.”
Reading is defined as the Reading Travel to Work Area in the report and is ranked 8th in the overall Index. The UK top five in order are York, Edinburgh, Bristol, Exeter and Swindon.
