As we enter the information revolution the activities of the leading cities are expected to change from the provision, exchange and consumption of labour services to the production, exchange and consumption of information, knowledge and ideas. This means intelligent manufacturing cities such as Shenzhen, Tianjin and Foshan are likely to exert an increasing influence on the world.
The following is a competitive ranking of 1,006 of the world’s cities inhabited by at least 500,000 people. The ranking reflects the industrial base, and the value-added of each city as part of the international division of labour and production network. The more indispensable a city is to this network, the higher its position in the global ranking.
Asia accounts for 565 of the world’s top 1,006 cities, while North America makes up 131, 126 are European, 102 African, 75 are from South America and seven are from Oceania.
Five major countries
The top of the table is dominated by five countries, with the US being home to 61 of the top 200 cities. China provides another 39 and Germany contributes 12, while Britain has nine and Japan has seven among the top 200. Historically the world’s leading cities have driven urban settlements to be increasingly inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. This trend is expected to continue with the five major countries being locomotives for change.
US Britain China Germany Japan
Hover/tap to see the ranking of cities 
Global urban class
The report uses a hierarchical clustering method to analyse the 1,006 cities. The following graphic includes only those that are considered international cities. The index covers urban centres categorised in the following scale.
Mind the gap
The highest and lowest ranking cities from the top five economies.
Overview
Compare how the economic competitiveness has changed for Chinese cities between 2017 and 2019. Five Chinese cities rank in the top 20, according to the report.
Economic competitiveness index, scale 0 to 1
Five Chinese cities rank in the top 20, according to the report.
Economic competitiveness index, scale 0 to 1
By the numbers
Compare cities across different factors using the menu.
POPULATION DENSITY
(People per sq km)
HOUSING COST
Monthly cost of a three-bedroom flat in the city centre (US$)
INCOME PER CAPITA
(US$ per year)
SAFETY INDEX
Ability of cities to provide security for their residents, businesses and visitors, combining digital, infrastructure, health and personal security (0 to 100)
The world’s population
After 1950, the world's economy, employment, and industrial structures have undergone tremendous changes. The economic revolution has led to the growth of the world's population and the expansion of cities. With the rapid development of automation, the jobs of 800 million people are expected to be lost to machines by 2030.
