
A global city, also called a power city, world city, alpha city or world center, is a
city
A city is a large human settlement.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be defined as a ...

which is a primary
node
In general, a node is a localized swelling (a "knot
A knot is an intentional complication in Rope, cordage which may be practical or decorative, or both. Practical knots are classified by function, including hitches, bends, loop knots, and splic ...

in the
global economic network. The concept comes from geography and
urban studies
Urban studies is based on the study of the urban development
Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to:
* Urban area
An urban area, or built-up area, is a human settlement with a high population density and infra ...
, and the idea that
globalization
Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English
The use of the English language
English is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language first spoken in History of Anglo-Saxon England, early medieval England, which ha ...

is created and furthered in strategic
geographic locales according to a hierarchy of importance to the operation of the global system of
finance
Finance is the study of financial institutions, financial markets and how they operate within the financial system. It is concerned with the creation and management of money and investments. Savers and investors have money available which could ...

and
trade
Trade involves the transfer of goods from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system
A system is a group of Interaction, interacting or interrelated elements that act according to a set of r ...

.
The most complex node is the "global city", with links binding it to other cities having a direct and tangible effect on global
socio-economic
Socioeconomics (also known as social economics) is the social science that studies how economic activity affects and is shaped by social processes. In general it analyzes how modern society, societies social progress, progress, economic stagnation ...
affairs.
[Sassen, Saskia - ]
The global city: strategic site/new frontier
'' The term "megacity" entered common use in the late 19th or early 20th centuries; one of the earliest documented uses of the term was by the
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin, shortened to UT Austin, UT, or Texas, is a public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of s ...
in 1904. The term "global city", rather than "
megacity
A megacity is a very large city, typically with a population of more than 10 million people. Precise definitions vary: the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in its 2018 "World Urbanization Prospects" report counted urban ...
", was popularized by
sociologist Saskia Sassen
Saskia Sassen (born January 5, 1947) is a Dutch-American sociologist noted for her analyses of globalization
Globalization, or globalisation ( Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration ...

in her 1991 work, ''The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo''. "World city", meaning a city heavily involved in global trade, appeared in the May 1886 description of
Liverpool
Liverpool is a and in , England. With a population of in 2019, it is the , and its is the fifth largest in the with a population of 2.24 million.
Situated on the eastern side of the , Liverpool historically lay within the ancien ...

, by ''
The Illustrated London News
''The Illustrated London News'' appeared first on Saturday 14 May 1842, as the world's first weekly news . Founded by , it appeared weekly until 1971, then less frequently thereafter, and ceased publication in 2003. The company continues today ...
''.
Patrick Geddes
Masterplan for Tel Aviv, 1925
Sir Patrick Geddes (2 October 1854 – 17 April 1932) was a Scottish biologist, sociologist, geographer, philanthropist and pioneering town planner. He is known for his innovative thinking in the fields of urban ...

later used the term "world city" in 1915.
[Doel, M. & Hubbard, P., (2002), "Taking World Cities Literally: Marketing the City in a Global Space of flows", ''City'', vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 351–68. Subscription required] More recently, the term has focused on a city's financial power and
high-technology
High technology (high tech) or frontier technology (frontier tech) is technology
Technology ("science of craft", from Ancient Greek, Greek , ''techne'', "art, skill, cunning of hand"; and , ''wikt:-logia, -logia'') is the sum of Art techni ...
infrastructure, with other factors becoming less relevant.
Criteria
Competing groups have developed multiple alternative methods to classify and rank ''world cities'' and to distinguish them from ''non-world cities''.
Although there is a consensus on the leading world cities,
[GaWC Research Bulletin 5](_blank)
, GaWC, Loughborough University
Loughborough University (abbreviated as ''Lough'' or ''Lboro'' for ) is a in the of , , in the of England. It has been a university since 1966, but the institution dates back to 1909, when the then Loughborough Technical Institute began wi ...
, 28 July 1999 the chosen criteria affect which other cities are included.
Selection criteria may be based on a ''yardstick value'' (e.g., if the producer-service sector is the largest sector then city is a world city)
or on an ''imminent determination'' (if the producer-service sector of city is greater than the combined producer-service sectors of other cities then city is a world city.)
Cities can fall from ranking, as in the case of cities that have become less
cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Food and drink
* Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo"
History
* Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953
Hotels and resorts
* Cosmopo ...
and less internationally renowned in the current era.
Characteristics
Although criteria are variable and fluid, typical characteristics of world cities are:
* A variety of international financial services, notably in
finance, insurance, real estate,
banking
A bank is a financial institution
Financial institutions, otherwise known as banking institutions, are corporation
A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the State (polity), stat ...

,
accountancy
Accounting or Accountancy is the measurement
'
Measurement is the number, numerical quantification (science), quantification of the variable and attribute (research), attributes of an object or event, which can be used to compare with other obj ...
, and
marketing
Marketing is the process of intentionally stimulating demand for and purchases of goods and services; potentially including selection of a target audience; selection of certain attributes or themes to emphasize in advertising; operation of adv ...

* Headquarters of several
multinational corporations
A multinational company (MNC) is a corporate
A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Nat ...
* The existence of financial headquarters, a
stock exchange
A stock exchange, securities exchange, or bourse is an Exchange (organized market), exchange where stockbrokers and stock trader, traders can buy and sell security (finance), securities, such as share (finance), shares of stock, Bond (finance), ...
, and other major financial institutions
* Domination of the trade and economy of a large surrounding area
* Major manufacturing centres with port and container facilities
* Considerable
decision-making power on a daily basis and at a global level
* Centres of new ideas and innovation in business, economics, culture, and politics
* Centres of media and communications for
global networks
A global network is any communication network
A telecommunications network is a group of nodes
In general, a node is a localized swelling (a "knot") or a point of intersection (a Vertex (graph theory), vertex).
Node may refer to:
In mathemati ...
* Dominance of the national region with great international significance
* High percentage of residents employed in the
services sector
The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sector
Image:Economic sectors and income.JPG, 250px, Percentages of a country's economy made up by different sectors. Countries with hi ...
and
information sector
* High-quality educational institutions, including renowned universities, international student attendance, and research facilities
* Multi-functional
infrastructure
Infrastructure is the set of fundamental facilities and systems that support the sustainable functionality of households and firms. Serving a country, city, or other area, including the services and facilities necessary for its economy
An eco ...

offering some of the best legal, medical, and entertainment facilities in the country
* High diversity in language, culture, religion, and ideologies
Rankings
Global city rankings are numerous, with one study suggesting as many as 300. Most ranked cities are in
North America
North America is a continent
A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention (norm), convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continen ...

and
Europe
Europe is a continent
A continent is any of several large landmass
A landmass, or land mass, is a large region
In geography
Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia'', literally "earth description") is a field of scienc ...

.
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* New ...

,
London
London is the capital
Capital most commonly refers to:
* Capital letter
Letter case (or just case) is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowerc ...

,
Tokyo
Tokyo (Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Tōkyō'' ), historically known in the west as Tokio and officially the Tokyo Metropolis (, ''Tōkyō-to''), is capital of Japan, the capital and most populous Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan ...

, and
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,175,601 residents , in an area of more than . Since the 17th century, Paris ha ...

, notably four of the most significant metropolises, have been ranked in top four positions in Global Cities Index and Global Power City Index since both indices' inception in 2008, with New York and London exclusively in top two positions.
GaWC study

Jon Beaverstock,
Richard G. Smith, and
Peter J. Taylor established the
Globalization and World Cities Research Network
The Globalization and World Cities Research Network, commonly abbreviated to GaWC, is a think tank
A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute
A research institute, research centre, or research center is an establishment founded for ...
(GaWC). A list of world cities in the ''GaWC Research Bulletin 5'' is ranked by their connectivity through four "advanced producer services": accountancy, advertising, banking/finance, and law.
The GaWC inventory identifies three levels of global cities and several sub-ranks,
[The World According to GaWC]
". GaWC. Retrieved 21 November 2012. although the authors caution that "concern for city rankings operates against ''the spirit of the GaWC project''" (emphasis in original).
The 2004 rankings added several new indicators while continuing to rank city-
economics
Economics () is a social science
Social science is the branch
A branch ( or , ) or tree branch (sometimes referred to in botany
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a bran ...

more heavily than political and cultural factors. The 2008 version of the list, similar to the 1998 version, is sorted into categories of Alpha world cities (with four sub-categories), Beta world cities (three sub-categories), Gamma world cities (three sub-categories), and cities with High sufficiency and Sufficiency presence. The cities in the top two classifications in the 2020 edition are as follows:
Alpha ++
*
London
London is the capital
Capital most commonly refers to:
* Capital letter
Letter case (or just case) is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowerc ...

*
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* New ...

Alpha +
#
Hong Kong
Hong Kong (; , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of China on the ...

#
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign state, sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

#
Shanghai
Shanghai (, , Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four Direct-administered municipalities of China, direct-administered municipalities of the China, People's Republic of China. The city is located on the sou ...

#
Beijing
Beijing ( ), as Peking ( ), is the of the . It is the world's , with over 21 million residents within an of 16,410.5 km2 (6336 sq. mi.). It is located in , and is governed as a under the direct administration of the with .Figures ...

#
Dubai
Dubai ( ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, الإمارات العربية المتحدة ) or the Emirates ( ar, الإمارات ), is a country i ...

#
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,175,601 residents , in an area of more than . Since the 17th century, Paris ha ...

#
Tokyo
Tokyo (Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Tōkyō'' ), historically known in the west as Tokio and officially the Tokyo Metropolis (, ''Tōkyō-to''), is capital of Japan, the capital and most populous Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan ...

Global City Competitiveness Index
In 2012, the
Economist Intelligence Unit
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) is the research and analysis division of the Economist Group
The Economist Group (legally The Economist Newspaper Limited) is a media company headquartered in London
London is the capital city, capita ...

(
The Economist Group
The Economist Group (legally The Economist Newspaper Limited) is a media company headquartered in London
London is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom. The ...
) ranked the competitiveness of global cities according to their demonstrated ability to attract capital, businesses, talent, and visitors.
Global Cities Index
In 2008, the American journal ''
Foreign Policy
''Foreign Policy'' is an American news publication, founded in 1970 and focused on global affairs, current events, and domestic and international policy. It produces content daily on its website, and in six print issues annually.
''Foreign Poli ...
'', working with the consulting firm
A.T. Kearney and the
Chicago Council on Global Affairs
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs is a global affairs think tank
A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute
A research institute, research centre, or research center is an establishment founded for doing research. Research ...
, published a ranking of global cities, based on consultation with
Saskia Sassen
Saskia Sassen (born January 5, 1947) is a Dutch-American sociologist noted for her analyses of globalization
Globalization, or globalisation ( Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration ...

,
Witold Rybczynski
Witold Rybczynski (born 1 March 1943) is a Canadian American architecture, architect, professor and writer. He is currently the Martin and Margy Meyerson Professor Emeritus of Urbanism at the University of Pennsylvania.
Early life
Rybczynski wa ...
, and others. ''Foreign Policy'' noted that "the world's biggest, most interconnected cities help set global agendas, weather transnational dangers, and serve as the hubs of global integration. They are the engines of growth for their countries and the gateways to the resources of their regions." The ranking is based on 27 metrics across five dimensions—business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement—and was updated in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Since 2015, it has been published with a separate index, the Global Cities Outlook, which is a projection of a city's potential based on rate of change in 13 indicators across four dimensions: personal well-being, economics, innovation, and governance. The top ranked cities in 2021 were:
#
New York City
New York, often called New York City to distinguish it from New York State
New York is a state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of ...

#
London
London is the capital
Capital most commonly refers to:
* Capital letter
Letter case (or just case) is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowerc ...

#
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,175,601 residents , in an area of more than . Since the 17th century, Paris ha ...

#
Tokyo
Tokyo (Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Tōkyō'' ), historically known in the west as Tokio and officially the Tokyo Metropolis (, ''Tōkyō-to''), is capital of Japan, the capital and most populous Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan ...

#
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; xgf, Tovaangar; es, Los Ángeles, , ), commonly referred to by the initialism
An acronym is a word
In linguistics, a word of a spoken language can be defined as the smallest sequence of phonemes that can be u ...

#
Beijing
Beijing ( ), as Peking ( ), is the of the . It is the world's , with over 21 million residents within an of 16,410.5 km2 (6336 sq. mi.). It is located in , and is governed as a under the direct administration of the with .Figures ...

#
Hong Kong
Hong Kong (; , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of China on the ...

#
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...

#
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign state, sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

#
Shanghai
Shanghai (, , Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four Direct-administered municipalities of China, direct-administered municipalities of the China, People's Republic of China. The city is located on the sou ...

Global Cities Initiative
A study by
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution, often referred to simply as Brookings, is an American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the United States
The United States ...
conducted in 2016 introduced its own typology, sorting global cities into seven categories: Global Giants, Asian Anchors, Emerging Gateways, Factory China, Knowledge Capitals, American Middleweights, and International Middleweights
The Global Giants classification includes wealthy, extremely large metropolitan areas that are the largest cities in developed nations. They are hubs for financial markets and major corporations, and serve as key nodes in global flows of capital and of talent.
*
London
London is the capital
Capital most commonly refers to:
* Capital letter
Letter case (or just case) is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowerc ...

*
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; xgf, Tovaangar; es, Los Ángeles, , ), commonly referred to by the initialism
An acronym is a word
In linguistics, a word of a spoken language can be defined as the smallest sequence of phonemes that can be u ...

*
New York City
New York, often called New York City to distinguish it from New York State
New York is a state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of ...

*
Osaka-Kobe
*
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,175,601 residents , in an area of more than . Since the 17th century, Paris ha ...

*
Tokyo
Tokyo (Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Tōkyō'' ), historically known in the west as Tokio and officially the Tokyo Metropolis (, ''Tōkyō-to''), is capital of Japan, the capital and most populous Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan ...

Global City Lab
An analysis report compiled by the Global City Lab of the Global Top 500 Cities was released in New York on 27 December 2019.
The top 10 of the "2020 Global Top 500 Cities" by
brand value were as follows:
#
New York City
New York, often called New York City to distinguish it from New York State
New York is a state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of ...

#
Tokyo
Tokyo (Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Tōkyō'' ), historically known in the west as Tokio and officially the Tokyo Metropolis (, ''Tōkyō-to''), is capital of Japan, the capital and most populous Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan ...

#
London
London is the capital
Capital most commonly refers to:
* Capital letter
Letter case (or just case) is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowerc ...

#
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,175,601 residents , in an area of more than . Since the 17th century, Paris ha ...

#
Sydney
Sydney ( ; Dharug
The Darug or Dharug people are an Aboriginal Australian people, who share strong ties of kinship and, in Colonial Australia, pre-colonial times, survived as skilled hunters in family groups or clans, scattered througho ...

#
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign state, sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

#
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; xgf, Tovaangar; es, Los Ángeles, , ), commonly referred to by the initialism
An acronym is a word
In linguistics, a word of a spoken language can be defined as the smallest sequence of phonemes that can be u ...

#
Toronto
Toronto (, ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,731,571 in 2016 in 2016, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most p ...

#
Berlin
Berlin (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3,769,495 inhabitants, as of 31 December 2019 makes it the List of cities in the European Union by ...

#
Hong Kong
Hong Kong (; , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of China on the ...

Global Economic Power Index
In 2015, the second ''Global Economic Power Index'', a meta list compiled by
Richard Florida
Richard L. Florida is an American urban studies theorist focusing on social and economic theory. He is a professor at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and a Distinguished Fellow at New York University School of Professio ...

, was published by ''
The Atlantic
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, as ''The Atlantic Monthly'', a literary and cultural magazine that published leading writers' commentary on education, the , and other maj ...

'' (distinct from a namesake list
[ published by the ''Martin Prosperity Institute''), with city composite rank based on five other lists.]
Global Power City Index
The Tokyo-based Institute for Urban Strategies at The Mori Memorial Foundation, issued a comprehensive study of global cities in 2019. They are ranked in six categories: economy, research and development, cultural interaction, livability, environment, and accessibility, with 70 individual indicators among them. The top ten world cities are also ranked by subjective categories, including manager, researcher, artist, visitor and resident.
The top 10 cities in the 2020 Global Power City Index were:
# London
London is the capital
Capital most commonly refers to:
* Capital letter
Letter case (or just case) is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowerc ...

# New York City
New York, often called New York City to distinguish it from New York State
New York is a state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of ...

# Tokyo
Tokyo (Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Tōkyō'' ), historically known in the west as Tokio and officially the Tokyo Metropolis (, ''Tōkyō-to''), is capital of Japan, the capital and most populous Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan ...

# Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,175,601 residents , in an area of more than . Since the 17th century, Paris ha ...

# Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign state, sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

# Amsterdam
Amsterdam (, , ) is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands with a population of 872,680 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the City Region of Amsterdam, urban ar ...

# Berlin
Berlin (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3,769,495 inhabitants, as of 31 December 2019 makes it the List of cities in the European Union by ...

# Seoul
Seoul (, like ''soul''; ko, 서울 ; ), officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital
Capital most commonly refers to:
* Capital letter
Letter case (or just case) is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppe ...

# Hong Kong
Hong Kong (; , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of China on the ...

# Sydney
Sydney ( ; Dharug
The Darug or Dharug people are an Aboriginal Australian people, who share strong ties of kinship and, in Colonial Australia, pre-colonial times, survived as skilled hunters in family groups or clans, scattered througho ...

Schroders Global Cities Index
The British asset management company Schroders
Schroders plc is a British multinational asset management company, founded in 1804. The company employs over 5,000 people worldwide in 32 locations around Europe, America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Headquartered in the City of London
...
ranked the competitiveness of global cities. The top 10 cities for the 2021 edition are as follows:[Schroders Global Cities Index](_blank)
- Schroders
Schroders plc is a British multinational asset management company, founded in 1804. The company employs over 5,000 people worldwide in 32 locations around Europe, America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Headquartered in the City of London
...
, 2021
# London
London is the capital
Capital most commonly refers to:
* Capital letter
Letter case (or just case) is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowerc ...

# San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish
Spanish may refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards, a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Canada
* Spanish River (dis ...

# Boston
Boston (, ), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States and 21st List of Unit ...

# Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,175,601 residents , in an area of more than . Since the 17th century, Paris ha ...

# New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* New ...

# Hong Kong
Hong Kong (; , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of China on the ...

# Toronto
Toronto (, ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,731,571 in 2016 in 2016, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most p ...

# San Jose
# Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport
The Porticciolo del Cedas port in Barcola
The thumb is the first digit of the hand, next to the index finger. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position (where the palm is facing to the front) ...

# Melbourne
Melbourne ( ) is the capital
Capital most commonly refers to:
* Capital letter
Letter case (or just case) is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller ...

The Wealth Report
"The Wealth Report" (a global perspective on prime property and wealth) is made by the London-based estate agent Knight Frank LLP and the Citi Private Bank
Citi Private Bank, a subsidiary of multinational banking conglomerate Citigroup, markets Private banking services for ultra high-net-worth individual clients, including entrepreneurs and senior corporate executives. It has 60 offices in 23 coun ...
. The report includes a "Global Cities Survey", evaluating which cities are considered the most important to the world's HNWIs (high-net-worth individual
High-net-worth individual (HNWI) is a term used by some segments of the financial services industry to designate persons whose investible wealth (assets such as stocks and bond (finance), bonds) exceed a given amount. Typically, these individuals ...
s, having over $25 million of investable assets each). For the Global Cities Survey, Citi Private Bank's wealth advisors, and Knight Frank's luxury property specialists were asked to name the cities that they considered the most important to HNWIs, in regard to "economic activity", "political power", "knowledge and influence", and "quality of life".
Most important cities to UHNWIs in 2020:
1. London
London is the capital
Capital most commonly refers to:
* Capital letter
Letter case (or just case) is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowerc ...

(tie)
1. New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* New ...

(tie)
3. Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,175,601 residents , in an area of more than . Since the 17th century, Paris ha ...

4. Tokyo
Tokyo (Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Tōkyō'' ), historically known in the west as Tokio and officially the Tokyo Metropolis (, ''Tōkyō-to''), is capital of Japan, the capital and most populous Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan ...

5. Hong Kong
Hong Kong (; , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of China on the ...

6. Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...

(tie)
6. Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; xgf, Tovaangar; es, Los Ángeles, , ), commonly referred to by the initialism
An acronym is a word
In linguistics, a word of a spoken language can be defined as the smallest sequence of phonemes that can be u ...

(tie)
8. Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign state, sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

9. Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by population, third-largest city in Germany, ...

10. Amsterdam
Amsterdam (, , ) is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands with a population of 872,680 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the City Region of Amsterdam, urban ar ...

Most important cities to UHNWIs in 2025:
# New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* New ...

# London
London is the capital
Capital most commonly refers to:
* Capital letter
Letter case (or just case) is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowerc ...

# Hong Kong
Hong Kong (; , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of China on the ...

# Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign state, sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

# Shanghai
Shanghai (, , Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four Direct-administered municipalities of China, direct-administered municipalities of the China, People's Republic of China. The city is located on the sou ...

# Beijing
Beijing ( ), as Peking ( ), is the of the . It is the world's , with over 21 million residents within an of 16,410.5 km2 (6336 sq. mi.). It is located in , and is governed as a under the direct administration of the with .Figures ...

# Miami
Miami (), officially the City of Miami, is a coast, coastal metropolis located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in southeastern Florida, United States. With a population of 467,963 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...

# Dubai
Dubai ( ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, الإمارات العربية المتحدة ) or the Emirates ( ar, الإمارات ), is a country i ...

# Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,175,601 residents , in an area of more than . Since the 17th century, Paris ha ...

#
The World's Most Talked About Cities
A study by ING Media, a London-based built environment
In urban planning, architecture and civil engineering, the term built environment, or built world, refers to the human impact on the environment, human-made environment that provides the setting for human behavior, human activity, including Home, ...
communications firm, has ranked 250 global cities by total online mentions across social media and online news for 2019. It found that a fifth of digital mentions were for Tokyo, New York City, London, and Paris, identifying these as the world's super brands. The Top 10 in the 2019 edition were:
# Tokyo
Tokyo (Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Tōkyō'' ), historically known in the west as Tokio and officially the Tokyo Metropolis (, ''Tōkyō-to''), is capital of Japan, the capital and most populous Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan ...

# New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* New ...

# London
London is the capital
Capital most commonly refers to:
* Capital letter
Letter case (or just case) is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowerc ...

# Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,175,601 residents , in an area of more than . Since the 17th century, Paris ha ...

# Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto =
, national_anthem =
, image_ ...

# Dubai
Dubai ( ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, الإمارات العربية المتحدة ) or the Emirates ( ar, الإمارات ), is a country i ...

# Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption = The te ...

# Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

# Seoul
Seoul (, like ''soul''; ko, 서울 ; ), officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital
Capital most commonly refers to:
* Capital letter
Letter case (or just case) is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppe ...

# Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region
The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan
, image_flag = Flag of Japan.svg
, alt_flag = Centered deep red circle on a white rectangle
, ...

The World's Best Cities
Real estate advisor Resonance Consultancy evaluates each city across the six dimensions: place ("perceived quality of a city’s natural and built environment"), product ("key institutions, attractions and infrastructure"), programming ("arts, culture, entertainment and culinary scene"), people ("immigration rate and diversity"), prosperity ("employment and corporate head offices"), and promotion ("stories, references and recommendations shared online").New report reveals the best cities in the world for 2021
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is an Australian travel guide book
A guide book or travel guide is "a book of information about a place designed for the use of visitors or tourists". It will usually include information about sights, accommodation, restaurants ...

In 2021, the top 10 was:
#
London
London is the capital
Capital most commonly refers to:
* Capital letter
Letter case (or just case) is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowerc ...

#
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,175,601 residents , in an area of more than . Since the 17th century, Paris ha ...

#
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* New ...

#
Moscow
Moscow ( , American English, US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐˈskva, a=Москва.ogg) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia. The city stands on the ...

#
Dubai
Dubai ( ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, الإمارات العربية المتحدة ) or the Emirates ( ar, الإمارات ), is a country i ...

#
Tokyo
Tokyo (Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Tōkyō'' ), historically known in the west as Tokio and officially the Tokyo Metropolis (, ''Tōkyō-to''), is capital of Japan, the capital and most populous Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan ...

#
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign state, sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

#
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; xgf, Tovaangar; es, Los Ángeles, , ), commonly referred to by the initialism
An acronym is a word
In linguistics, a word of a spoken language can be defined as the smallest sequence of phonemes that can be u ...

#
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

#
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto =
, national_anthem =
, image_ ...

Summary of indices
See also
*
EcumenopolisEcumenopolis (from el, οἰκουμένη , meaning "world", and "city", thus "a world city"; pl. ''ecumenopolises'' or ''ecumenopoleis'') is the hypothetical concept of a planetwide city. The word was invented in 1967 by the Greek city planner ...

*
Financial centre
A financial centre, financial center, or financial hub is a location with a concentration of participants
Participation or Participant may refer to:
Politics
*Participation (decision making), mechanisms for people to participate in social de ...
*
Globalization
Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English
The use of the English language
English is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language first spoken in History of Anglo-Saxon England, early medieval England, which ha ...

*
List of cities by GDP
This is a list of cities in the world by gross domestic product (GDP). The United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization that aims to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop ...
*
Megalopolis (city type)
A megalopolis (), sometimes called a megapolis; also megaregion, city cluster or supercity, is a group of two or more roughly adjacent metropolitan areas, which may be somewhat separated or may merge into a continuous urban region. The megalop ...
*
Metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big city ...

*
Primate city
A primate city (Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken in the area around Rome, known as Latium. Through the power of the Roman ...
*
Ranally city rating systemThe Ranally city rating system is a tool developed by Rand McNally & Co. to classify U.S. cities based on their economic function. The system is designed to reflect an underlying hierarchy whereby consumers and businesses go to a city of a certain s ...
References
External links
Repository of Links Relating to Urban Placesby Jeffrey Kentor and Michael Timberlake of the
University of Utah
The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public
In public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of deliberately managing the release and spread of information between an individual or an organization (such ...

and David Smith of University of California, Irvine
UN-HABITAT.:. The State of the World's Cities
{{DEFAULTSORT:Global City
Types of cities
Economic geography
Metropolitan areas
Urban areas
Lists of cities
Economic globalization
Loughborough University
Cultural geography
Index numbers