Edinburgh has the strongest economy of any
city in the United Kingdom outside of London and the highest percentage of
professionals in the UK with 43% of the population holding a degree-level or
professional qualification. According to the Centre for International
Competitiveness, it is the most competitive large city in the United Kingdom.
It also has the highest gross value added per employee of any city in the UK
outside London, measuring £57,594 in 2010. It was named European Best Large
City of the Future for Foreign Direct Investment and Best Large City for
Foreign Direct Investment Strategy