Rankings · London borough
City of London
Formally the City of London Corporation.
Compare City of London with another council
Data as of 13 October 2026 · methodology v2.0 (stable) · to cite: "City of London council, Council Rankings, 13 October 2026, https://councilrankings.com/council/city-of-london/"
City of London is not ranked. With about 15,600 residents, its per-resident figures are not comparable with the boroughs. Its figures are shown for reference.
Service quality
Planning
| Measure | City of London | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 97.8% | 93.7% | – | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Non-major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 94.1% | 92.0% | – | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Planning decisions in the financial year Higher is better · context only | 460 | 1,092 | – | 2025-26 |
Source: MHCLG — Planning application statistics (PS2)
Waste & recycling
| Measure | City of London | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste sent for reuse recycling or composting Higher is better | 25.5% | 37.4% | – | 2024-25 |
| Residual household waste per household Lower is better | 337 kg | 516 kg | – | 2024-25 |
Source: DEFRA — Local authority collected waste management
Complaints
| Measure | City of London | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ombudsman upheld decisions per 100k residents Lower is better | 3.7 | 4.8 | – | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman investigations upheld Lower is better | 50.0% | 81.9% | – | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman recommendations implemented on time Higher is better | 0.0% | 75.0% | – | 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman recommendations implemented Higher is better · context only | 100.0% | 100.0% | – | 2025-26 |
| Upheld complaints already remedied by the council before reaching the Ombudsman Higher is better · context only | None upheld | 15.2% | – | 2025-26 |
Source: Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman — annual review data
Children's services
| Measure | City of London | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted overall effectiveness (children's services) Higher is better | Outstanding | Good | – | latest at 2026-03-31 |
| Ofsted sub-judgements (average) Higher is better | 3.75 / 4 | Good | – | latest at 2026-03-31 |
Source: Ofsted — Local authority inspection outcomes
Adult social care
| Measure | City of London | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CQC assessment score for adult social care Higher is better | 63.9%Good assessment published 15 July 2026 | 63.9% | – | latest at 2026-10-13 |
| Quality of life of people who use services (adjusted) Higher is better | 0.387 | 0.417 | – | 2024-25 |
| People who use services satisfied with their care and support Higher is better | 63.5% | 65.5% | – | 2024-25 |
| Older people still at home 12 weeks after hospital discharge into reablement Higher is better | 69.2% | 62.5% | – | 2024-25 |
| Adults aged 18 to 64 with a learning disability who live in their own home or with family Higher is better | 90.9% | 83.9% | – | 2024-25 |
| People who use services who feel safe Higher is better | 71.1% | 70.7% | – | 2024-25 |
Source: CQC — Local authority assessment reports; DHSC — Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework
Special educational needs
| Measure | City of London | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks Higher is better | 100.0% | 58.3% | – | 2024 to 2025 |
Source: DfE — Education, health and care plans
Homelessness
| Measure | City of London | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homelessness prevented: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | Not reported this quarter | 51.7% | – | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Homelessness relieved: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 42.1% | 33.5% | – | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1000 households Lower is better | 5.4 | 2.8 | – | 2026-03 |
| Families with children in B&B for more than 6 weeks Lower is better · context only | 0 | 0 | – | 2026-03 |
Value for money
Adult social care value for money
Spending data not available.
Children's services value for money
Spending data not available.
Waste value for money
Spending data not available.
Planning value for money
Spending data not available.
Financial health
City of London needed Exceptional Financial Support from government (2024-25 to 2026-27), so it ranks below every council that did not on financial health.
Reserves
| Measure | City of London | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usable reserves as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | 239.5% | 33.0% | – | 2025-26 |
| Change in usable reserves over the year as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | 43.3% | 0.4% | – | 2025-26 |
Debt
| Measure | City of London | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt servicing costs as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 0.0% | 9.7% | – | 2025-26 |
| Borrowing need (excluding council housing) as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 110.3% | 184.6% | – | 2024-25 borrowing, 2025-26 spend |
Schools funding deficit
| Measure | City of London | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-needs (DSG) deficit as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 0.0% | 8.8% | – | 2025-26 |
Government bailouts
| Measure | City of London | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exceptional Financial Support over three years as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 1.6% | 0.0% | – | 2024-25 to 2026-27 |
Context
Background figures. These don't count towards the score.
| Population | 15,631 | median 277,253 | mid-2025 |
| Net service spend per resident | £22,591.30 | median £2,026.28 | 2025-26 |
| Index of Multiple Deprivation average score | 10.210 | median 24.057 | 2025 |
| Families with children in B&B for more than 6 weeks | 0 | median 0 | 2026-03 |
| Band D council tax (council element) | £1,112.38 | median £1,969.00 | 2026-27 |
| Band D council tax change on previous year | 5.0% | median 5.0% | 2026-27 |
| Band D council tax total bill (incl. GLA/police/fire/combined authority) | £1,329.56 | median £2,435.01 | 2026-27 |
Also responsible in City of London
These services are run by other bodies, so they don't count towards City of London's score.
- Greater London Authority: transport (TfL); strategic planning; police & crime (MOPAC); fire (LFB)
ONS code E09000001 · How we score · Report an error · Changelog