The world’s largest metropolitan areas concentrate the drivers of global prosperity, but there isn’t one way to be a global city—this report defines seven types of global cities, providing a valuable lens through which to understand an evolving global economy.
As societies and economies around the world have urbanized, they have upended the classic notion of a global city. No longer is the global economy driven by a select few major financial centers like New York, London, and Tokyo. Today, members of a vast and complex network of cities participate in international flows of goods, services, people, capital, and ideas, and thus make distinctive contributions to global growth and opportunity. And as the global economy continues to suffer from what the IMF terms “too slow growth for too long,” efforts to understand and enhance cities’ contributions to growth and prosperity become even more important.
Seven types of global cities
In view of these trends and challenges, this report redefines global cities. It introduces a new typology that builds from a first-of-its-kind database of dozens of indicators, standardized across the world’s 123 largest metro economies, to examine what really defines a global city—its economic characteristics, industrial structure, and key competitiveness factors.
The typology reveals that there is no one way to be a global city. Grouped into seven metropolitan clusters, the distinct competitive positions of the world’s largest metro economies become sharper, as do the peers metropolitan areas can look to for common solutions and investments to enhance economic growth.
Remapping the 123 largest global cities
Factory China
Knowledge Capitals
Emerging gateways
Asian Anchors
Global Giants
American Middleweights
International Middleweights
Economic characteristics
Economic growth
Tradable clusters
Innovation
Talent
Connectivity
Metro area | Global city type | GDP (millions PPP$), 2015 | GDP per capita (PPP$), 2015 | GDP per worker (PPP$), 2015 |
1.Ankara, Turkey | Emerging gateways | $133,934 | $25,630 | $72,881 |
2.Athens, Greece | International Middleweights | $138,715 | $36,082 | $89,488 |
3.Atlanta, USA | Knowledge Capitals | $310,822 | $54,427 | $118,944 |
4.Austin, USA | Knowledge Capitals | $119,234 | $59,591 | $122,251 |
5.Baltimore, USA | Knowledge Capitals | $178,121 | $63,673 | $127,375 |
6.Barcelona, Spain | International Middleweights | $197,889 | $42,010 | $92,191 |
7.Beijing, China | Asian Anchors | $663,590 | $30,335 | $55,142 |
8.Berlin, Germany | International Middleweights | $185,910 | $43,100 | $84,031 |
9.Birmingham (UK), United Kingdom | International Middleweights | $132,439 | $34,233 | $70,770 |
10.Boston, USA | Knowledge Capitals | $370,731 | $77,651 | $139,160 |
11.Brasilia, Brazil | Emerging gateways | $159,587 | $39,150 | $75,047 |
12.Brussels, Belgium | International Middleweights | $290,522 | $52,445 | $117,979 |
13.Busan-Ulsan, South Korea | Emerging gateways | $305,931 | $39,160 | $78,771 |
14.Cape Town, South Africa | Emerging gateways | $66,599 | $16,750 | $45,103 |
15.Changchun, China | Factory China | $162,933 | $21,435 | $88,460 |
16.Changsha, China | Factory China | $245,571 | $33,604 | $114,963 |
17.Changzhou, China | Factory China | $147,281 | $31,155 | $66,988 |
18.Charlotte, USA | American Middleweights | $131,636 | $54,253 | $117,332 |
19.Chengdu, China | Factory China | $306,458 | $21,272 | $61,480 |
20.Chicago, USA | Knowledge Capitals | $582,496 | $60,988 | $125,817 |
21.Chongqing, China | Emerging gateways | $425,472 | $14,108 | $24,540 |
22.Cincinnati, USA | American Middleweights | $115,552 | $53,553 | $107,232 |
23.Cleveland, USA | American Middleweights | $117,493 | $57,013 | $111,133 |
24.Columbus, USA | American Middleweights | $113,875 | $56,328 | $107,702 |
25.Copenhagen-Malmö, Denmark | International Middleweights | $151,041 | $49,610 | $96,469 |
26.Dalian, China | Factory China | $245,161 | $35,317 | $76,067 |
27.Dallas, USA | Knowledge Capitals | $458,043 | $64,488 | $132,630 |
28.Delhi, India | Emerging gateways | $396,449 | $16,861 | $58,516 |
29.Denver, USA | Knowledge Capitals | $179,882 | $63,916 | $127,270 |
30.Detroit, USA | American Middleweights | $218,080 | $50,692 | $111,675 |
31.Dongguan, China | Factory China | $186,042 | $21,976 | $149,831 |
32.East Rand, South Africa | Emerging gateways | $62,492 | $18,904 | $49,982 |
33.Foshan, China | Factory China | $234,737 | $31,620 | $91,582 |
34.Frankfurt am Main, Germany | International Middleweights | $270,396 | $60,321 | $106,745 |
35.Fuzhou, China | Factory China | $159,572 | $21,437 | $67,360 |
36.Guangzhou, China | Emerging gateways | $523,554 | $39,800 | $78,646 |
37.Haerbin, China | Factory China | $159,238 | $14,926 | $66,270 |
38.Hamburg, Germany | International Middleweights | $186,506 | $58,499 | $104,205 |
39.Hangzhou, China | Emerging gateways | $274,969 | $30,820 | $53,465 |
40.Hartford, USA | Knowledge Capitals | $101,787 | $84,029 | $158,428 |
41.Hefei, China | Factory China | $156,989 | $25,979 | $62,274 |
42.Hong Kong, Hong Kong | Asian Anchors | $413,999 | $56,751 | $109,004 |
43.Houston, USA | Knowledge Capitals | $505,218 | $75,893 | $166,808 |
44.Indianapolis, USA | American Middleweights | $114,936 | $57,791 | $111,291 |
45.Istanbul, Turkey | Emerging gateways | $449,388 | $30,723 | $85,137 |
46.Jinan, China | Emerging gateways | $174,317 | $24,671 | $47,607 |
47.Johannesburg, South Africa | Emerging gateways | $94,096 | $19,913 | $47,869 |
48.Kansas City, USA | American Middleweights | $110,456 | $52,914 | $103,550 |
49.Karlsruhe, Germany | International Middleweights | $159,066 | $52,050 | $95,708 |
50.Katowice-Ostrava, Poland | Emerging gateways | $136,218 | $27,200 | $66,260 |
51.Kitakyushu-Fukuoka, Japan | International Middleweights | $194,550 | $34,970 | $73,368 |
52.Köln- Düsseldorf, Germany | International Middleweights | $548,379 | $47,735 | $92,483 |
53.London, United Kingdom | Global Giants | $831,100 | $55,947 | $94,847 |
54.Los Angeles, USA | Global Giants | $927,562 | $69,532 | $158,165 |
55.Madrid, Spain | International Middleweights | $315,507 | $47,905 | $98,405 |
56.Melbourne, Australia | International Middleweights | $197,774 | $43,690 | $86,534 |
57.Mexico City, Mexico | Emerging gateways | $485,621 | $23,017 | $52,807 |
58.Miami, USA | American Middleweights | $282,514 | $46,989 | $110,888 |
59.Milan, Italy | International Middleweights | $380,609 | $49,286 | $105,382 |
60.Minneapolis, USA | Knowledge Capitals | $227,417 | $64,523 | $115,982 |
61.Monterrey, Mexico | Emerging gateways | $140,512 | $31,906 | $72,213 |
62.Montreal, Canada | International Middleweights | $157,734 | $38,872 | $77,370 |
63.Moscow, Russia | Asian Anchors | $749,686 | $61,482 | $105,975 |
64.Mumbai, India | Emerging gateways | $221,192 | $10,147 | $26,527 |
65.Munich, Germany | International Middleweights | $265,693 | $66,739 | $111,975 |
66.Nagoya, Japan | International Middleweights | $377,075 | $41,672 | $81,200 |
67.Nanjing, China | Emerging gateways | $271,934 | $32,983 | $78,121 |
68.Nantong, China | Factory China | $169,781 | $23,079 | $109,576 |
69.New York, USA | Global Giants | $1,492,242 | $73,938 | $158,339 |
70.Ningbo, China | Emerging gateways | $233,000 | $30,166 | $46,770 |
71.Orlando, USA | American Middleweights | $125,898 | $52,740 | $107,691 |
72.Osaka-Kobe, Japan | Global Giants | $680,997 | $36,535 | $76,562 |
73.Paris, France | Global Giants | $818,522 | $65,354 | $125,287 |
74.Perth, Australia | International Middleweights | $139,282 | $66,959 | $131,039 |
75.Philadelphia, USA | Knowledge Capitals | $363,644 | $59,910 | $126,815 |
76.Phoenix, USA | American Middleweights | $214,809 | $46,958 | $110,757 |
77.Pittsburgh, USA | American Middleweights | $141,339 | $60,066 | $120,040 |
78.Portland, USA | Knowledge Capitals | $159,219 | $66,640 | $139,429 |
79.Pretoria, South Africa | Emerging gateways | $61,240 | $19,141 | $49,951 |
80.Qingdao, China | Factory China | $265,789 | $29,357 | $93,504 |
81.Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Emerging gateways | $233,238 | $19,162 | $41,806 |
82.Riverside, USA | American Middleweights | $167,864 | $37,393 | $121,006 |
83.Rome, Italy | International Middleweights | $207,502 | $46,444 | $97,574 |
84.Rotterdam-Amsterdam, Netherlands | International Middleweights | $397,399 | $55,610 | $98,463 |
85.Sacramento, USA | American Middleweights | $126,103 | $55,449 | $134,843 |
86.Saint Petersburg, Russia | Emerging gateways | $158,084 | $30,459 | $54,291 |
87.San Antonio, USA | American Middleweights | $113,910 | $47,779 | $110,480 |
88.San Diego, USA | Knowledge Capitals | $217,562 | $65,938 | $144,668 |
89.San Francisco, USA | Knowledge Capitals | $375,055 | $80,551 | $164,521 |
90.San Jose, USA | Knowledge Capitals | $180,757 | $91,437 | $171,288 |
91.Santiago, Chile | Emerging gateways | $213,908 | $29,303 | $64,809 |
92.Sao Paulo, Brazil | Emerging gateways | $579,473 | $27,366 | $57,018 |
93.Seattle, USA | Knowledge Capitals | $285,634 | $76,504 | $146,310 |
94.Seoul-Incheon, South Korea | Asian Anchors | $903,466 | $36,002 | $69,533 |
95.Shanghai, China | Asian Anchors | $809,507 | $32,684 | $69,782 |
96.Shenyang, China | Factory China | $230,103 | $27,869 | $87,934 |
97.Shenzhen, China | Emerging gateways | $490,761 | $45,374 | $63,476 |
98.Shijiazhuang, China | Factory China | $156,264 | $14,681 | $106,620 |
99.Singapore, Singapore | Asian Anchors | $468,087 | $84,399 | $128,493 |
100.St. Louis, USA | American Middleweights | $146,024 | $51,937 | $106,565 |
101.Stockholm, Sweden | Knowledge Capitals | $167,911 | $64,223 | $116,662 |
102.Stuttgart, Germany | International Middleweights | $193,143 | $61,013 | $106,768 |
103.Suzhou, China | Factory China | $440,255 | $41,306 | $102,776 |
104.Sydney, Australia | International Middleweights | $251,254 | $51,115 | $100,856 |
105.Tampa, USA | American Middleweights | $140,263 | $47,144 | $109,678 |
106.Tangshan, China | Factory China | $190,743 | $24,446 | $130,944 |
107.Tel Aviv, Israel | International Middleweights | $144,875 | $39,162 | $78,912 |
108.Tianjin, China | Emerging gateways | $477,808 | $30,538 | $53,942 |
109.Tokyo, Japan | Global Giants | $1,623,904 | $43,884 | $83,263 |
110.Toronto, Canada | International Middleweights | $292,432 | $47,750 | $92,413 |
111.Vancouver, Canada | International Middleweights | $114,447 | $45,738 | $88,499 |
112.Vienna-Bratislava, Austria | International Middleweights | $200,062 | $52,341 | $99,961 |
113.Warsaw, Poland | Emerging gateways | $164,068 | $56,564 | $95,975 |
114.Washington, USA | Knowledge Capitals | $454,088 | $74,469 | $139,109 |
115.Wenzhou, China | Factory China | $131,441 | $14,172 | $42,837 |
116.Wuhan, China | Emerging gateways | $323,517 | $31,529 | $75,061 |
117.Wuxi, China | Factory China | $269,957 | $41,368 | $95,183 |
118.Xi'an, China | Emerging gateways | $160,578 | $18,658 | $62,986 |
119.Xuzhou, China | Factory China | $149,682 | $17,284 | $85,697 |
120.Yantai, China | Factory China | $183,501 | $26,003 | $94,358 |
121.Zhengzhou, China | Factory China | $209,690 | $22,784 | $76,961 |
122.Zibo, China | Factory China | $123,273 | $26,608 | $107,580 |
123.Zurich, Switzerland | Knowledge Capitals | $135,596 | $68,761 | $105,121 |