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It has come in at 21st, ahead of the only other New Zealand cities ranked, with Wellington at 33rd and Christchurch at 43rd.
More than 230 municipalities submitted entries to make the list, with Hamilton applying for the first time this year.
Singapore ranked number one, followed by Seoul, London, Barcelona and Helsinki rounding out the top five.
The rankings, by the Singapore-based Eden Strategy Institute assess each city's governance on 10 key indicators for achieving smart city outcomes, such as increasing citizen participation, improving service delivery, and enhancing digital inclusion.
The report highlighted the council's nation-leading project to replace the city's streetlights with LED bulbs, which led to significant cost savings and improved environmental outcomes.