Legacy hubs such New York, London, and Paris stood firm in the 2025 Global Cities Report.
Global cities could be described as “microcosms of the world and the global economy”, as they often serve as centers of social, political, economic, and cultural vibrancy. In Kearney’s 2025 Global Cities Report, such cities reaffirm their dominance in being long-established global hubs while APAC cities prove their growing influence in the global urban hierarchy.
The Global Cities Index (GCI) evaluates 156 cities across five dimensions: business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement. These potentially help to measure each city’s ability to attract, retain, and generate global flows of capital, people, and ideas.
Here are the top 10 global cities that have made it back into the 2025 GCI:
1. New York [same rank as 2024]
2. London [same rank as 2024]
3. Paris [same rank as 2024]
4. Tokyo [same rank as 2024]
5. Singapore [same rank as 2024]
6. Beijing [same rank as 2024]
7. Hong Kong [jumped up from 9th rank in 2024]
8. Shanghai [same rank as 2024]
9. Los Angeles [moved down from 7th rank in 2024]
10. Chicago [jumped up from ninth rank in 2024]
Asia’s strong performance
Asia continues to assert its presence on the global stage, with five APAC cities securing spots in the top 10, and others performing well enough:
Tokyo (4th) retained its position for the 11th consecutive year. The city has been credited as a world-leader in urban design and senior-citizen engagement, supported by barrier-free infrastructure and targeted social services. Singapore (5th) maintained its ranking as well. The city continues to position itself as a premier international education hub, with credits for advancing its lifelong lifelong-learning system through initiatives like SkillsFuture and global talent partnerships.Beijing (6th) remained a top performer, Beijing stood out with gains across all four GCO dimensions, maintaining high stability despite geopolitical pressures. Entrepreneurship scores are also rising, supported by a community of start-ups, incubators, and private capital.Hong Kong (7th) rose two places from 2024, boosted by increased international travel and cultural vibrancy. Shanghai (8th) advanced in economics and innovation, though it also experienced slight declines in personal wellbeing. information exchange and digital readiness. It was also credited for its gains driven by strategic investments in innovation and economic competitiveness.
Beyond the Global Cities Index which captures current performance, Kearney also measures the Global Cities Outlook (GCO) which is more of a forward-looking assessment on how effectively the world’s leading metros are creating conditions for future success. Here’s how some Asian cities performed there:
– Seoul climbed to second place. While personal wellbeing dipped slightly, the South Korean capital’s transformation into a tech powerhouse continues. With a thriving start-up community, world-class universities, and strategic government investment, Seoul is positioning itself for digital innovation.
– Singapore returned to the top five for the first time in five years, leaping from 20th to third. This sharp rise reflects gains in infrastructure, GDP per capita, and foreign investment, affirming the city-state’s resilience and global appeal, as well as proactive approach to upgrading digital infrastructure.
– Taipei and Kuala Lumpur recorded notable improvements in business activity, rising 13 and 9 positions respectively in this dimension. Taipei is said to be gaining ground through strategic investments in logistics, air freight, and global services.
– Jakarta advanced 13 places in the human capital dimension, supported by institutional and infrastructure development.
– Shenyang, Osaka, and Mumbai posted gains in information exchange and digital infrastructure.
Here’s the list of the top five cities in the 2025 GCO:
1. Munich [jumped up from 2nd place in 2024]
2. Seoul [jumped up from 5th place in 2024]
3. Singapore [jumped up from 20th place in 2024]
4. San Francisco [fell from top spot in 2024]
5. Copenhagen [moved down from third ranking in 2024]
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AloJapan.com