Rising City Index · November 2026 all 1029 cities ×

Benguela

Angola · 0.6 million people · =868 of 1029

Falling behind, from a low base.

Where it stands (2020–24 data)Low base

Light trendFading

Rising City Index grade CCC

31.3 out of 100Based on 6 of 6 forces

What this grade says

Benguela scores 31.3 out of 100 against fixed benchmarks. Strongest: economy and environment. Weakest: connections and transport. It starts from a low base (2020–24 levels). Night-time light is still growing, but more slowly since 2022.

Economy72

266th of 1031 cities · rests on one measure

Connections0

969th of 1022 cities

Energy35

507th of 1032 cities

People23

650th of 1032 cities

Transport12

704th of 948 cities

Environment46

342nd of 1032 cities · rests on one measure

The grade is the average of the six force scores, and can sit at most two bands above the city's third-weakest force. AAA and AA need all six forces scored.

How to read the table: every measure is scored from 0 to 100 against a fixed benchmark (the line under each measure), not against other cities. Adding cities never changes this score. Black bars = a score below 15.

MeasureBenguelaScore against the benchmarkScore

Economy · 72 out of 100

Night-time light, 2015–250 = no growth · 100 = +10% a year (light ×2.6 in a decade) +100% 72

Research output, 2015–240 = no growth · 100 = output ×8 in a decade (+23.1% a year; set high because new journals entering the index inflate growth) · scored only with at least 100 works in 2015 not reported –

Income per person, 2015–20Context, not in the grade: its period ends in the COVID year (2020) −47% –

Connections · 0 out of 100

Fixed internet speed growth, 2020–230 = no gain · 100 = +50% a year · growth counted from at least 15 Mbps −28% 0

Air passengers, 2015–25Extra fact, not in the grade: no single worldwide airport source; filled as official files arrive not reported –

Internet speed reached, 2023Context, not in the grade: a level, not a change (it counts in “where it stands”) 16 Mbps –

Energy · 35 out of 100

Sun and wind added within 100 km, 2015–250 = none · 100 = 350 W per person per decade (the world average pace 2015–25, IRENA) 63.2 W per person 16

Clean share of new power within 100 km, 2015–250 = all new power nearby is fossil · 100 = all of it is clean (solar, wind, hydro, nuclear, geothermal); scored where at least 100 MW was built 54% 54

People · 23 out of 100

Population growth, 2015–250 = shrinking or flat · 100 = +3% a year +15% 47

Human development (region), 2015–200 = no gain · 100 = +0.008 a year · Regional figure: every city in the province shares this value. −0.006 0

Transport · 12 out of 100

Residents near public transport0 = 0% · 100 = 100% (UN target: everyone by 2030) 12% 12

Metro and rapid bus opened per million people, 2015–25Extra fact, not in the grade: no single worldwide metro source; filled as official records arrive not reported –

Environment · 46 out of 100

Land built vs people added, 2010–200 = land grows 2× faster than people · 100 = land grows at most 0.35 times as fast not reported –

Fine-particle air pollution, 2013–15 to 2021–230 = no fall · 100 = −8% a year (China's 2013–20 pace), or already at or below 5 µg/m³ (the WHO guideline) +4% 0

Greenness of built-up land, 2015–250 = −0.03 a decade (losing green) · 100 = +0.10 a decade +0.089 91

Weakest forces

connections · transport

Its two lowest force scores. Strongest: economy · environment.

Sources: NASA Black Marble · EU JRC GHSL Urban Centre Database R2024A (air, greenness, sprawl, human development, internet) and GHS-POP (people within 100 km) · UN-Habitat SDG 11.2.1 · OpenAlex · Global Energy Monitor · airport operators and aviation authorities · metro and transit operators. Mostly Estimates. Every score is measured against a fixed benchmark, not against other cities. Nobody can pay for or submit data to a grade. How the grade works