Our population figures are larger than standard metro counts because they include contiguous
neighboring urban areas.
Measures corporate headquarters, multinational presence, global retail and brand footprint, GDP and
GDP per capita, and
population growth.
Measures passenger flight and air-cargo activity, port and container ship traffic, road
connectivity, and hub status.
Measures hardware and software technology firms, unicorns, venture capital, STEM universities,
broadband speed, e-government,
and work visa policies.
Measures readiness to invest in climate adaptation, flood risks, heavy rains, heat and humidity,
cyclones, pollution, and
water scarcity.
Methodology
We evaluated and ranked 1,500 cities using 20 key indicators. We then excluded the developed markets and selected the top ranked cities by region. We also used expert input to enrich our views and ensure a spread across multiple regions and countries.
Methodology
We assessed and ranked 1,500 cities based on 20 key indicators. For Europe and North America, we chose cities ranked just beyond the top 20; for North Asia, those outside the top 15; for South and Southeast Asia, beyond the top 10; and for the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, outside the top 5.
Methodology
We assessed and ranked 1,500 cities based on 20 key indicators. For Europe and North America, we chose cities ranked just beyond the top 25; for North Asia, those outside the top 20; for South and Southeast Asia, beyond the top 10; and for the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, outside the top 5.
Methodology
We assessed and ranked 1,500 cities based on 20 key indicators. For Europe and North America, we chose cities ranked just beyond the top 10; for North Asia, those outside the top 10; for South and Southeast Asia, beyond the top 5; and for the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, we chose among the top ranked.
Location
