For many Americans, it can be so easy to get wrapped up in American news and politics. We often find ourselves judging the past, present and future based on how American cities and citizens are affected. However, a global perspective is long overdue.

According to a new study from Teneo, which ranked major cities across the world for factors including environmentally-friendly practices, financial power and public health, only seven U.S. cities are among the top 20 cities of the future. This is a far cry from the mindset many Americans have surrounding the certain dominance of U.S. cities well into the future. 

So which cities did lead the list? Many European cities like Zurich, Stockholm and Geneva will lead the world into the future. Many of these cities promise a greater quality of life for residents. What’s interesting is that while many of the cities have strikingly high real estate prices and taxes, it seems as though the investment may be worth it for residents reaping the benefits. 

However, similar to the barriers in focusing only on U.S. cities, focusing only on Western European cities limits an understanding of our future, globalized world. Asian hubs like Beijing and Tokyo all were included in the top 50 cities for future-focused factors. However, it should be noted that the ranking heavily explored environmentalist factors which many of these cities have not yet been able to manage well in the face of rapid urbanization. 

You can explore the global rankings here.