A new rating of Belarusian cities has appeared — here's what the top 20 looks like

Illustrative photo. Source: AP Photo / Pavel Bednyakov

In the new ranking, Belarusian cities are ranked across five dimensions: demographic sustainability, economic situation, quality of life, local authorities, and tourist attractiveness.

Unlike previous studies, when compiling the 2026 ranking, researchers assigned different weights to various indicators. Thus, the economic situation and quality of life each contributed 30% to the final score, demographic sustainability — 20%, and local authorities and tourist attractiveness — 10% each.

According to the authors Yauhen Merkis and Anton Radniankou, greater priority was given to economic conditions and everyday quality of life, as these factors most influence a person's decision on where to live.

Moreover, for the first time, bonus points were introduced for city size. Living in a large settlement adds opportunities — more employers, services, infrastructure, which are not always captured by statistics. Therefore, regional cities (over 300 thousand inhabitants) received +10 points, large cities (100-300 thousand) — +6, medium cities (50-100 thousand) — +3, and small cities — no bonus.

Some criteria had to be abandoned during the work on the ranking (for example, data on natural population growth are no longer published). At the same time, new parameters for urban living comfort were added, and the number of women in local government bodies and the presence of executive committees on social networks were analyzed.

However, as the compilers of the ranking note, for certain particularly sensitive aspects of city life — the state of ecology, cultural and intra-social life — they were unable to find a suitable method of assessment.

In the researchers' understanding, "the best city" is a place with relatively stable yet vibrant development, where it is easier to build a future: to study, work, raise children.

Important factors include: accessibility of medical and social services, the opportunity to earn a decent income, as well as the transparency of local authorities and at least minimal influence on their decisions.

Thus, in the overall ranking, the capital came in first place. Brest and Grodno entered the top three leaders. And surprisingly, the fourth place was taken by Minsk's satellite city — Smaliavichy. In the top ten, in addition to regional centers, there are also Mozyr (7th place), Salihorsk (9th), and Kobryn (10th).

Павялічыць

Here's what the top 20 cities in the ranking look like:

1. Minsk
2. Brest
3. Grodno
4. Smaliavichy
5. Vitebsk
6. Mogilev
7. Mozyr
8. Gomel
9. Salihorsk
10. Kobryn
11. Lida
12. Dzyarzhynsk
13. Pruzhany
14. Pinsk
15. Slutsk
16. Rechytsa
17. Kalinkavichy
18. Luninyets
19. Ivacevichy
20. Polotsk

In terms of tourist attractiveness, the first five positions were taken by Polotsk, Minsk, Brest, Grodno, and Vitebsk. Mogilev, Pinsk, Navahrudak, Pruzhany, and Orsha also entered the top ten.

Павялічыць

If comparing cities by economic situation, Smaliavichy, Dzyarzhynsk, Minsk, Salihorsk, Maryina Horka are among the leaders.

Павялічыць

In addition to the ranking, the authors identified the main trends in the development of Belarusian cities.

Five Trends in the Development of Belarusian Cities

1. The West strengthens, the East weakens

The divide between Western and Eastern cities continues to deepen. Grodno surpassed Mogilev in population and rose to third place in the country. Brest is #2 in the ranking, while Gomel — the second largest city — dropped to eighth position. In the authors' view, Western regional centers are strengthening their positions due to tourism, more vibrant demographics, and proximity to the border with the European Union. In the East, however, problems are accumulating: population outflow, weak economy, dependence on a single industry.

2. Cities are emptying and aging

Only 4 out of 40 cities showed population growth: Minsk, Grodno, Brest, and Smaliavichy. All others are losing residents, in some cases by 2-3% over four years. Simultaneously, cities are rapidly aging: young people are moving to larger centers, and in 15 cities, the proportion of elderly people has increased by more than 5 percentage points. The exception is Smaliavichy, where the average age of residents is decreasing due to the influx of young families.

3. Industrial cities split

Mozyr and Salihorsk maintain strong positions in the top ten. However, Novopolotsk, Svetlahorsk, and Babruysk, which also relied on industry, have fallen — they were hit by sanctions, shrinking markets, and a lack of diversification. Dependence on a single enterprise or industry, which previously worked to their advantage, has now turned into a risk.

4. Proximity to Minsk no longer guarantees growth

Dzyarzhynsk currently holds the 12th position thanks to a strong economy, but Maladzyechna, Barysaw, and Zhodzina — cities that were recently considered "dynamic satellites" of the capital — have fallen into the lower half of the ranking. The only true beneficiary of the Minsk agglomeration is Smaliavichy with a population growth of +15%, but even here, infrastructure cannot keep up with the growth.

5. Local authorities — unevenly visible

Local authorities show varying activity on social networks. There is also a significant difference in the proportion of women in local councils — from 18% to 63% without any correlation to the size of the city or region.

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