The World's Most Competitive Cities

Asian cities dominate the “economic strength” category of the competitiveness Index, which is the most highly weighted category. All but 5 of the top 20 cities on this measure are Asian. Tianjin, Shenzhen and Dalian top the list, while nine other Chinese cities rank in the top 20. Singapore ranks 15, and Hanoi 20. The top 32 Asian cities are all predicted to grow by at least 5 percent annually between now and 2016. Twelve of them will grow by at least 10 percent. This is in harsh contrast to the low single digit growth of most developed market cities in Europe and the United States.

Midsized cities like Hanoi and Houston dominate the growth rankings. They are collectively predicted to grow by 8.7 percent annually over the next five years, ahead of the mega-cities on which many firms focus.

On the parameter of economic strength New York ranked fourth while quite a few Indian cities made it to the top 30 list as well. Bangalore ranked 16, Ahmadabad ranked 19 and Mumbai and Delhi ranked 26.

Singapore is the highest-placed Asian city. The city-state ranks particularly well in terms of its physical capital, financial maturity, institutional effectiveness, environment and natural hazards and global appeal.