A global city (also known as a power city, world city, alpha city, or world center) is a city that serves as a primary node in the world economy The concept originates from geography and urban studies, based on the thesis that globalization has created a hierarchy of strategic geographic locations with varying degrees of influence over finance, trade, and culture worldwide.
The criteria of a global city vary depending on the source.
Origin and terminology
The term
global city was popularized by
sociologist Saskia Sassen in her 1991 book,
The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo.
[Sassen, Saskia. The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo. 1991. Princeton University Press. . .] Before then, other terms were used for urban centers with roughly the same features. The term 'world city', meaning a city heavily involved in global trade, appeared in a May 1886 description of
Liverpool, by
The Illustrated London News;
British sociologist and
geographer Patrick Geddes used the term 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. 351–368. Subscription required.] The term '
megacity' entered common use in the late 19th or early 20th century, the earliest known example being a publication by the University of Texas in 1904.
In the 21st century, the terms are usually focused on a city's
financial center and
high-technology infrastructure.
Criteria
Competing groups have devised competing means to classify and rank world cities and to distinguish them from other cities.
Although there is a consensus on the leading world cities,
[ GaWC Research Bulletin 5 , GaWC, Loughborough University, 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.)
Although criteria are variable and fluid, typical characteristics of world cities include:
[Pashley, Rosemary. "HSC Geography". Pascal Press, 2000, p.164]
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The most prominent criterion has been providing a variety of financial center,
[J.V. Beaverstock, World City Networks 'From Below' , GaWC, Loughborough University, 29 September 2010] notably in FIRE economy, banking, accountancy, and marketing; and their amalgamation of financial headquarters, a stock exchange, and other major financial institutions,
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Headquarters of numerous multinational corporations,
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Domination of the trade and economy of a large surrounding area,
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Major manufacturing centers with port and container facilities,
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Considerable decision-making power daily and at a global level,
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Centers of new ideas and innovation in business, economics, and culture,
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Centers of digital media and other media and communications for global networks,
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The dominance of the national region with great international significance,
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The high percentage of residents employed in the services sector and information sector,
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High-quality educational institutions, including renowned universities and research facilities; and attracting international student attendance,
[K. O'Connor, International Students and Global Cities , GaWC, Loughborough University, 17 February 2005]
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Multi-functional infrastructure offering some of the best legal, medical, and entertainment facilities in the country,
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High diversity in language, culture, religion, and ideologies.
Rankings
GaWC World Cities
Primarily concerned with what it calls the "advanced producer services" of accountancy, advertising, banking/finance, and law, the cities in the top two classifications in the 2024 edition are:
Alpha ++
Alpha +
Global Cities Index (Kearney)
In 2008, the American journal
Foreign Policy, working with the consulting firm A.T. Kearney and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, published a ranking of global cities based on consultation with
Saskia Sassen, Witold Rybczynski, and others.
The ranking is based on 27 metrics across five dimensions: business activity,
human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement.
The top ranked cities in 2024 are:
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New York City
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London
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Paris
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Tokyo
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Singapore
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Beijing
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Los Angeles
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Shanghai
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Hong Kong
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Chicago
Global Cities Index (Oxford Economics)
Advisory firm
Oxford Economics ranks the world's largest 1,000 cities based on 27 indicators across five categories (economics,
human capital, quality of life, environment, and
governance) with more weight on economic factors. The top ranked cities in 2025 are:
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New York City
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London
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Paris
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San Jose
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Seattle
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Melbourne
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Sydney
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Boston
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Tokyo
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San Francisco
Global Power City Index
The Tokyo-based Institute for Urban Strategies at The Mori Memorial Foundation, issued a study of global cities in 2008. They are ranked in six categories: economy, research and development, cultural interaction,
livability, environment, and accessibility. The top 10 cities in 2024 are:
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London
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New York City
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Tokyo
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Paris
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Singapore
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Seoul
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Amsterdam
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Dubai
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Berlin
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Madrid
World's Best Cities ranking
Consultancy firm Resonance publishes the World's Best Cities ranking. They are ranked in three categories: livability, lovability and prosperity, each of them using different factors. The top 10 cities in 2025 are:
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London
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New York City
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Paris
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Tokyo
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Singapore
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Rome
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Madrid
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Barcelona
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Berlin
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Sydney
Global Financial Centres Index
The 2025 ranking was:
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New York City
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London
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Hong Kong
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Singapore
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San Francisco
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Chicago
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Los Angeles
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Shanghai
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Shenzhen
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Seoul
See also
