Canberra revealed to be among the best cities in the world according to GotParts747 research

Canberra has been named the second most-hygienic capital city in the world and the third most innovative city on the globe.

We're going to change the ACT number plate slogan: "Canberra! Smart AND Clean!".

Canberra lost out to Berlin in the most hygienic capital city in the world - based on factors such as pollution levels, the amount of solid waste generated, rate of recycling and composting, hand-washing culture and each country's hand sanitiser import volumes.

The world's least hygienic city was New Dehli, based on the research by GotParts747

Canberra also had the lowest pollution level index of the 20 cities surveyed.

Here are the top 10 most hygienic cities in the world according to GotParts747's research:

1. Berlin, Germany - 8.2

2. Canberra, Australia - 7.5

3. Ottawa, Canada - 7.2

4. Seoul, South Korea - 6.8

5. Paris, France - 6.8

6. Rome, Italy - 6.5

7. London, UK - 6.3

8. Wellington, NZ - 6.2

9. Cape Town, South Africa - 5.8

10. Tokyo, Japan - 5.5

But, the good news doesn't end there.

Canberra has also been revealed as the third most-innovative city in the world, after first-placed Paris and runner-up Washington DC. (But was actually in the scores, equal to Washington.)

Washington and Canberra actually tied for second in the innovation rankings. Picture: Supplied

Paymentsense has created a worldwide "innovation index" analysing more than 50 capital cities around the globe.

Each location was ranked according to specific data, some of which dates from 2019, well before the coronavirus pandemic started to affect businesses around the world.

The information used in the innovation index covered:

• Number of patent applications registered on Google

• Number of new business registrations in 2019

• Number of universities and their rankings (while education does not by definition imply innovation, universities have long been establishments that luckily have the time and resources to innovate in various areas)

• Average monthly search volumes and trends for 'how to start a business'

• Number of Kickstarters and their average value

Canberra ranked third place on the index with an innovation score of 75.5 out of 100 - the same as second-placed Washington. (Paris had a score of 79.3)

"For a small city, Canberra is rich in culture, history, and national treasures. The city also ranks highly for its business innovation which is attracting new talent, organisations and business events to the city," the survey commented.

Canberra Convention Bureau's Director of Business Development Samanta Sefton said the national capital was an attractive place to start a business - but also to live.

"Canberra surprises people," she said.

"Delegates bring their families back because there's just so much to do. Canberra always has new experiences to try out.

"There's the diversity of restaurants, the outdoor experiences, the craft beers, wineries and distilleries. It's the mix and match nature in the city that appeals to all ages and interests."

Canberra was ranked higher in the innovation stakes that some powerhouse cities including Berlin, Tokyo and Beijing.