The Oxford Economics Global Cities Index ranked 1,000 top global cities in 2025 and only one Asian city has made it to top 10—is it your hometown?
The Oxford Economics Global Cities Index recently published its ranking of 1,000 top global cities in 2025 and there’s only one Asian city in the top 10: Tokyo at ninth position.
Despite Asia’s economic powerhouse status, this comprehensive ranking of 1,000 cities worldwide shows a significant gap between Asia’s leading urban centres and their Western counterparts. While New York retains the crown followed by London and Paris, Seoul is at 15th place and Singapore sits at 21st—the only Asian two cities, apart from Tokyo, to be on the top 50 list.
The United States dominates the rankings, claiming seven of the top 10 spots and 16 positions in the top 50. Australia also performs strongly with four cities in the top 50, while European cities are well-represented throughout the upper tiers.
The methodology is based on economic dynamism, environmental sustainability, governance, human capital development and quality of life considerations.
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1. New York, USA
2. London, UK
3. Paris, France
4. San Jose, USA
5. Seattle, USA
6. Melbourne, Australia
7. Sydney, Australia
8. Boston, USA
9. Tokyo, Japan
10. San Francisco, USA
11. Los Angeles, USA
12. Washington DC, USA
13. Dublin, Ireland
14. Stockholm, Sweden
15. Seoul, South Korea
16. Zurich, Switzerland
17. Oslo, Norway
18. Copenhagen, Denmark
19. Dallas, USA
20. Toronto, Canada
21. Singapore, Singapore
22. Munich, Germany
23. Brisbane, Australia
24. Chicago, USA
25. Geneva, Switzerland
26. Denver, USA
27. Amsterdam, Netherlands
28. Atlanta, USA
29. Berlin, Germany
30. Houston, USA
31. Perth, Australia
32. Luxembourg, Luxembourg
33. Philadelphia, USA
34. Brussels, Belgium
35. Minneapolis, USA
36. Vienna, Austria
37. Vancouver, Canada
38. Helsinki, Finland
39. Hamburg, Germany
40. San Diego, USA
41. Phoenix, USA
42. Basel, Switzerland
43. Montreal, Canada
44. Madrid, Spain
45. Miami, USA
46. Tel Aviv, Israel
47. Austin, USA
48. Bern, Switzerland
49. Gothenburg, Sweden
50. Portland, USA
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