Only 1.65 percentage points separated Gothenburg from the top of the 2026 Global Destination Sustainability Index.
With a score of 91.29%, the Swedish city placed second behind Helsinki on 92.94%, while Copenhagen completed the leading trio with 90.35%. Aarhus and Aalborg followed in fourth and fifth place.
The result extends an unusually consistent record for Gothenburg, which has led the index seven times and has now finished second for three consecutive years. The benchmark assesses destinations across environmental, social, supplier and destination-management performance.
Katarina Thorstensson, Sustainability Strategist at Göteborg & Co, said the narrow margins at the top show how cities can “challenge and inspire one another” through collaboration and shared knowledge.
That wider progress is an important part of the 2026 results: 89% of destinations assessed in consecutive years improved their scores, while the global average reached its highest level since the index began in 2016.
For Gothenburg, the ranking is also commercially relevant. Peter Grönberg, CEO of Göteborg & Co, said the city’s sustainability credentials remain an important reason why international meetings and events choose the destination, strengthening both its appeal and competitiveness.