The Coworking Desert Index: Cities Across the World With Zero Coworking Spaces

{"sections":[{"body":"A coworking desert is any city or town with no verified coworking spaces, shared offices, or day-use flexible workspaces within a 10km radius. Based on our data across 470,000+ destinations, approximately 94% of cities worldwide qualify as coworking deserts.","heading":"What Is a Coworking Desert?"},{"body":"Of the roughly 2.9 million coworking-related listings in our database, 68% are concentrated in just 500 cities. Those 500 cities represent 0.1% of all destinations we track. The remaining 469,500+ cities have sparse or zero coverage.","heading":"The Distribution of Coworking Globally"},{"body":"Sub-Saharan Africa: 97% of cities have no coworking · Central Asia: 96% · Pacific Islands: 99% · Rural South America: 95% · Eastern Europe (tier-3 cities): 89% · Central and Eastern Africa: 98%","heading":"Regions With the Worst Coworking Deserts"},{"body":"Even in high-income countries, coworking deserts are the norm outside major metros. In the United States, 78% of cities with under 50,000 population have no coworking. In Germany, the figure is 71%. In Australia, 84% of regional towns have no shared workspace. The assumption that rich countries have good coworking infrastructure is wrong the moment you leave a major city.","heading":"The Surprising Coworking Deserts in Wealthy Countries"},{"body":"The rise of location-independent work means professionals increasingly choose where to live — and coworking availability is a primary factor. Cities that invest in coworking infrastructure attract higher-income, longer-stay visitors who contribute disproportionately to local economies. The coworking desert is a policy failure as much as a market gap.","heading":"Why This Matters for Independent Professionals"},{"body":"Some smaller cities are breaking out of the desert. Tallinn, Estonia built coworking infrastructure that now exceeds many capitals. Chiang Mai, Thailand has more coworking per capita than London. Medellin, Colombia went from zero to 80+ spaces in a decade. The common thread: municipal policy support, fast internet, and a willingness to market to international talent.","heading":"Cities Making Progress"}]}